It all came to a critical point recently in South Korea when the President of the State, Yoon Suk-Yeol, declared martial law. In an unprecedented move, it also started raising echoes of past authoritarian behaviors in the history of the country at home and international levels. Since then, events have moved fast, boiling down to a tense confrontation between the government and opposition parties.
Martial law declaration
Yoon had announced emergency martial law on December 3, 2024, through a televised late-night address. He also added this desperate measure was based on the opposition Democratic Party’s anti-state activities and collaborating with North Korea. According to him, these actions have paralyzed the work in government and threatened national security. He said, “To protect a free South Korea from the invasion forces of communist North Korea.I proclaim emergency martial law”.
Martial law meant that the military had control over every element of governance, including basic civil liberties on the freedom of expression and assembly. Troops streamed into the National Assembly, the military helicopters were seen flying in to land on its roof to force through Decree 34, against which outrage was immediate both from lawmakers and citizens alike.
Immediate reactions
In the hours following Yoon’s announcement, opposition lawmakers held an emergency session in defiance of martial law in which they voted overwhelmingly against the decree to nullify it. In the early hours of December 4, Yoon lifted his martial law order amidst fierce criticism and pressure by both political rivals and the public.
Lawmakers wasted little time underlining the powerful resistance to Yoon’s efforts of consolidating power through military means. Many saw his actions as unconstitutional, with opposition leader Lee Jae-myung branding the declaration “illegal”.
Background on martial law?
Yoon’s declaration of martial law is supported by a number of political motivations. His disapproval ratings, starting since his assumption of office in May 2022, were the recent polls placing support at about 25%. Since then, his government repeatedly failed to advance legislative priorities as the parliament was controlled by the opposition Democratic Party.
The direct provocation for the Yoon decree had come through a budget presented by the president as well as an imminent motion of impeachment against some of the most important officials in his regime. “He accuses the opposition of sabotaging his presidency and attempting a coup d’état on democracy in South Korea”.
Coup d’état attempt
While not necessarily an attempted coup d’état per se at this time in the nation of South Korea, some analysts have gone so far as to refer to Yoon’s actions as nothing less than a “self-coup.” The term generally refers to any situation where the head of state attempts to consolidate his authority through unconstitutional means, basically undermining democratic processes from within.
Various comparisons have been drawn between Yoon’s move and the authoritarian leadership of Chun Doo-hwan in the late 1970s as many view Yoon’s move like the previous military dictatorships in South Korea. Comparisons to the past dictatorships have been drawn as analysts fear that Yoon’s move sets a very bad precedent for governance in South Korea.
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