The crisis in South Korea has alarmed everyone in the early hours of this Wednesday, after the president Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law that was overturned hours later by Parliament.
The leader could be living his last hours at the head of the country. The Democratic Party (PD) and five other opposition parties have already presented a parliamentary motion to remove him, thus initiating a process that could lead to the suspension of the exercise of power by Yoon, whose party governs in a minority.
Who is Yoon Suk-yeol?
The figure of the president has suffered increasing wear and tear in recent times. You have to go back three decades to glimpse Yoon-Suk-yeol’s beginning as a prosecutor in Seoul, waging a constant battle against corruption that propelled him to the position of attorney general of South Korea in 2019.
He arrived at the post hand in hand with Moon Jae-inthe then South Korean president, and won the favor of the people by fighting against corruption cases that plagued political leaders. He was responsible for several cases that ended with leaders being prosecuted, such as former presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak. The investigation he led into Moon’s Minister of Justice helped him definitively approach politics, specifically the leadership of the Conservative Party PPP.
That happened in 2021, while In 2022 he managed to prevail with only one point ahead of the Democratic Party. The tight result would later translate into a minority government that was complicated in practically every step taken since then, approving only around 25% of its projects.
Upon coming to power, Yoon made it clear that he wanted to give power to the people and get away from corruption scandals, but the reality was very different. The constant blockade in the legislative field was joined by several scandals, including those that affected his wife, Kim Keon-hee.
Kim Keon-hee was recorded in 2023 receiving a $2,200 Christian Dior bag, something prohibited under South Korean law when accepting a gift of more than $750. Yoon then assured that he was suffering political persecution because this video was recorded on a hidden camera, although his wife had also been questioned before, accused of falsifying her resume due to academic plagiarism and other actions such as manipulating shares on the stock market. Kim-Keon-hee even asked for the appearance that affected her resume.
Thus, Yoon’s popularity has been declining significantly until today, with one last controversy that could end the leader who came to power just two years ago. The declaration of martial law and its subsequent rejection by Parliament has led the opposition to carry out en bloc a motion that will be voted on within 72 hours of its implementation.
To approve this initiative, 200 of the 300 seats that make up Parliament are needed. The PD and the other forces that have come with the motion add up to 190 votes, which would require a dozen more votes to suspend Yoon, votes that seem few since criticism has been made from within the president’s own party. harshly the leader’s decision to declare martial law in the country.
What happened in South Korea: why Yoon declared martial law
The situation leaves in a huge weakness to Yoonwho has not made any public appearance since announcing the declaration of martial law.
Yoon Suk-yeol himself had applied martial law to protect the “constitutional order” and by accusing the main opposition bloc, the PD, of colluding with North Korea. A plenary session convened hours later overturned this martial law with 190 votes, forcing the president to revoke the measure adopted.
The South Korean president’s announcement came after The PD will approve general budgets for 2025 with cuts without Yoonin addition to motions to dismiss the attorney general and the person responsible for monitoring the accounts of public organizations.
Furthermore, Yoon was left in a delicate situation having lost the legislative elections held in Aprilsince since then his Government had not been able to carry out any proposed law.
