Who is Yoon Suk Yeol?
Yoon Suk Yeol was born in Seoul, South Korea, on December 18, 1960, and is a well-known politician and attorney serving as the 13th president of South Korea. He was inaugurated into office on May 10, 2022, after a hotly contested election on March 9, 2022. Many saw his election as monumental in the history of South Korean politics, given that he was the first president born after the Korean War.
Early life and career
He graduated with a degree in law from Seoul National University and quickly rose through the ladders of South Korea’s judicial system. Yoon acquired great national attention as an anti mythical public prosecutor in leading battles and immediately climbed to the top by defeating the previous president in leading cases. Indeed, in high visibility and profile, he became noted for the investigation of convicted former President Park Geun-hye for abusing state power, which deeply underscored his public perception for anti-corruption credentials.
In 2021, Yoon joined the conservative People Power Party and declared his candidacy for president. He had centered his campaign on strong policy toward North Korea and economic liberalization to appeal to those disaffected with the policies of the former administration.
Presidency and policies
The presidency of Yoon is marked by hawkish foreign policy towards North Korea, while there are efforts to increase relations between Washington and Tokyo. He has also called for economic deregulation and floated several unpopular ideas, such as the abolishment of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. He nevertheless suffered the lowest ratings in the office of presidency since that of his predecessor. Indeed, amidst an economic slump and controversies within the ruling party, these approval ratings continue to slump downward.
His administration has been criticized since he took office for the perceived democratic backsliding into authoritarian tendencies, as apparent in his declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024. Indeed, this move, unprecedented by any stretch of the imagination, received direct backlash from opposition parties and ordinary citizens alike.
Declaration of martial law
Yoon Suk Yeol imposed emergency martial law on December 3, 2024, after growing tensions with opposition lawmakers over what he described as “anti-state activities” meant to disrupt the national interest. He, in an address, called this crippling to the government machinery for the benefit of North Korean increased influence in South Korea.
It was the first declaration of martial law since the military regime in 1980 during the rule of Chun Doo-hwan. The drastic measure, justified by Yoon deep in accusing his opponents, the Democratic Party, of attempting to unseat his presidency with impeachment, besides disputes over state budgets.
Immediate aftermath
Military forces had surrounded the National Assembly as martial law was declared amidst widespread protests in South Korea. In an emergency session that was rushed through because of events, the lawmakers unanimously voted against Yoon’s declaration, which they said was unconstitutional. Only hours later, the president’s backtracking came as Yoon gave in to the relentless opposition parties and angry protests his announcement received.
What Yoon had done the critics labeled a “self-coup,” an unconstitutional consolidation of power when redress of political grievances was called for, as detailed in this article, What is happening in South Korea, why was Martial Law declared and who has attempted a coup d’état in the country? . The rapid reversal of martial law underlined how deep-seated resistance to authoritarianism now was in South Korean society.
Political challenges and controversies
Besides the recent fiasco that happened dealing with martial law, his presidency is plagued by a myriad of controversies. People have never been satisfied with the way he is tackling inflation and a rise in living standards; hence, his ratings have always stayed at historic lows. Besides, other controversies involving his wife, Kim Keon-hee, also marred his reputation. Family financial dealings were called for investigations on allegations relating to her involvement in the manipulation of stock prices.
Yoon’s administration has also criticized the handling of public safety issues in the wake of tragedies, such as that in Itaewon last October 2022 due to a crowd crush in Halloween celebrations that saw a number of fatalities. Vastly frustrated are the number of South Koreans over what they perceive as negligence by the government in ensuring public safety.
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