Protesters are blocked by police officers as they try to march to the presidential office after a candlelight vigil against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

South Korea’s President accepted the resignation of his Defence Minister on Thursday (December 5, 2024) as opposition parties moved to impeach both men over the stunning yet short-lived imposition of martial law that brought armed troops into Seoul streets.

The main opposition Democratic Party and other small opposition parties submitted a joint motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday over his martial law declaration the previous night. Martial law lasted about six hours, as the National Assembly quickly voted to overrule the President, forcing his Cabinet to lift it before daybreak Wednesday.

On Thursday, Mr. Yoon replaced Defence Minister Kim Yong Hyun with Choi Byung Hyuk, a retired four-star general who is South Korea’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mr. Yoon’s office said.

It didn’t provide any further comments by Mr. Yoon. He hasn’t made any public appearances since he announced in a televised address that his government was lifting the martial law declaration.

The opposition parties earlier submitted a separate motion to impeach Mr. Kim, alleging he recommended Mr. Yoon impose martial law. On Wednesday, Mr. Kim offered to resign and apologised for causing disruption and concern to the public. Mr. Kim said “all troops who performed duties related to martial law were acting on my instructions, and all responsibility lies with me,” according to the Defence Ministry.

The impeachment motion on Mr. Yoon was introduced at a parliamentary plenary session early Thursday, meaning it can be put to a vote between Friday and Sunday. By law, the motion will be scrapped if it isn’t voted within 72 hours of its parliamentary introduction. Opposition parties can submit a new impeachment motion if the current one is scrapped or voted down, according to National Assembly officials.

Prospects for Mr. Yoon’s impeachment aren’t clear as Mr. Yoon’s ruling conservative People Power Party decided Thursday to oppose the motion’s passage. Choo Kyung-ho, the floor leader of the PPP, told reporters that his party would hold another meeting to determine how to oppose the motion’s passage. Observers say PPP members could simply boycott a floor vote or cast ballots against the motion.

Impeaching him would require support from two-thirds of the single-chamber National Assembly, or 200 of its 300 members. The opposition parties together have 192 seats and they need additional votes from the PPP. Some experts earlier said the motion will likely be passed through parliament as 18 PPP lawmakers, who belong to an anti-Yoon faction in the party, already voted down Mr. Yoon’s martial law decree together with opposition lawmakers.

But speaking to reporters Thursday, PPP leader Han Dong-hun, head of the anti-Yoon faction, said he would work to ensure that the impeachment motion doesn’t pass though he remains critical of Mr. Yoon’s action, which he described as “unconstitutional.” Han said that there is a need to “prevent damage to citizens and supporters caused by unprepared chaos.”

Experts say rival factions in PPP could unite not to repeat their traumatic experiences following the 2016 impeachment of scandal-ridden conservative President Park Geun-hye, which happened after some lawmakers at her own party voted to impeach her. Mr. Park was eventually removed from office and arrested in 2017, and the liberals easily won the presidency in a by-election as conservatives remained in disarray.

If Mr. Yoon is impeached, he will be deprived of his constitutional powers until the Constitutional Court rules. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who holds the No. 2 position in the South Korean government, would take over presidential responsibilities.

The impeachment motion on Mr. Yoon accuses him of attempting a “self-coup” by mobilising the military. It also says Mr. Yoon’s declaration failed to meet the constitutional requirements that such steps should only be considered in severe crisis situations. The motion also argues that his move to declare a suspension of political party activities and deploy troops in an attempt to seal the National Assembly amounted to rebellion.

Mr. Yoon’s martial law declaration, the first of its kind in more than 40 years, harkened back to South Korea’s past military-backed governments when authorities occasionally proclaimed martial law and other decrees that allowed them to station soldiers, tanks and armoured vehicles on streets or at public places such as schools to prevent anti-government demonstrations. Until Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, such scenes of military intervention had not been seen since South Korea achieved a democracy in the late 1980s.

After Mr. Yoon’s declaration, troops carrying full battle gear, including assault rifles, tried to keep protesters away from the National Assembly as military helicopters flew overhead and landed nearby.

It wasn’t clear how the 190 lawmakers were able to enter a parliamentary hall to vote down Mr. Yoon’s martial law decree. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik were seen climbing over walls. As troops and police officers blocked some from entering, they didn’t aggressively restrain or use force against others.

People attend a candlelight vigil condemning South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s surprise declaration of martial law on Tuesday (December 3, 2024) night, which was reversed hours later, and to call for his resignation in Seoul, South Korea, on December 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

For a brief duration on late Tuesday night (December 3, 2024), South Korea, a country with a history of military rule, had fleeting visions of its past as President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared on television and imposed an emergency marital law. This would have curbed the activities of political parties, brought the media under the ambit of the law, and required protesting workers to resume duties.

Yeilding to pressure, even from members of his People’s Power Party, Mr. Yoon repealed the law within six hours as lawmakers braved Army troops to vote 190-0 against it at the 300-member strong Parliament. He now faces an impeachment motion.

History of South Korea’s martial law

South Korea’s constitution states that martial law can be imposed to “cope with a military necessity or to maintain the public safety and order by mobilization of the military forces in time of war, armed conflict, or similar national emergency.” The law can be repealed if overturned by a majority in the National Assembly.

Between the end of the Second World War and South Korea’s transition to democracy in 1987, martial law was imposed 16 times. It was last imposed in 1987, when military leader Park Chung-hee was assassinated the year before. 

What was the run-up to the decision?

At the time of Mr. Yoon’s ascension to the President’s chair in 2002 (with a razor-thin majority of 0.8 percentage points), the National Assembly was already dominated by the Opposition Democratic Party.

A victory for them in this year’s April parliamentary elections landed Mr. Yoon in a precarious position, as it made him the first South Korean leader in decades without a majority in the National Assembly. This led to constant bickering, with the President vetoing bills and accusing the Opposition of filing 22 impeachment motions against his administration officials.

Coupled with the latest argument over a Budget Bill, the standoff culminated in Mr. Yoon declaring martial law to stop “shameless pro-North anti-state forces that plunder the freedom and happiness of our people”, and even terming the National Assembly a “monster that destroys the liberal democratic system”. 

President’s track record

A prosecutor by profession, Mr. Yoon came to power, succeeding Moon Jae-in from the Democratic Party. The 63-year-old has overseen the conviction of former president Park Geun-hye in her impeachment trial.

In comparison to Mr. Moon, who struck a conciliatory tone with North Korea by meeting its leader Kim Jong-un, the 63-year-old Conservative Mr. Yoon has adopted a hawkish approach. He has called for further military drills and economic sanctions on Pyongyang, in moves that have been perceived as an overture to bolster ties with the U.S. “Peace is meaningless unless it is backed by power,” Mr. Yoon was quoted as saying during his presidential campaign. He was also seen warming up to Japan, which ruled South Korea previously.

Back home, increasing home prices and rising unemployment have kept his administration busy. The country is home to an ageing population and has recorded the world’s lowest birth rate.

The government’s efficacy was first put to test when it was faced with the fallout of one of the worst tragedies – the Halloween weekend stampede of October 29, 2002, in which 159 people were killed at a popular nightlife district in Seoul. Authorities’ response to the incident came under sharp criticism.

The second trial came with the doctors’ protest which began in February 2024, over the government’s decision to admit more students to address shortages. The medical workers wanted the government to address their harsh working conditions and dismal pay before recruiting more students.

Another botch is the bribery charges against Mr. Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, who was caught on camera receiving a $2,200 Dior pouch as a gift, drawing comparisons with Marie Antoinette.

Taken together with his anti-feminist policies and attacks against media organisations for spreading ‘fake news’, the President’s approval points last month stood at a dismal 17%.

Aftermath 

The United States, the country’s biggest ally, said it was unaware of the decision to impose martial law while senior aides to Mr. Yoon offered to resign en masse, including his chief of staff.

Opposition filed an impeachment motion against the President – a sentiment echoed by citizens and labour unions who have gone on strike in Seoul. Allies of Mr. Yoon such as the leader of his PPP party, Han Dong-hoon, termed the decision wrong and said “together with the people, we will stop this. He called for the resignation of Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who is believed to have suggested the idea to Mr. Yoon.

The National Assembly is empowered to impeach the President if more than two-thirds of the members support the motion. Mr. Yoon’s party has 108 members in Parliament.

South Korea lifts President’s martial law

| Video Credit:
The Hindu

Hours after imposing martial law in South Korea, President Yoon Suk Yeol lifted it early on December 4. This was after a tense night of political drama in which troops surrounded the parliament and lawmakers voted to reject military rule.

Mr. Yoon had declared martial law late on December 3, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces. He has been struggling against an opposition that controls the country’s parliament and that he accuses of sympathising with North Korea.

Less than three hours after imposing martial law, parliament voted to lift the declaration, with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik declaring that the martial law was “invalid”.

People watch a TV screen showing South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s televised briefing at a bus terminal in Seoul on December 3, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared an “emergency martial law” on Tuesday (December 3, 2024) accusing the country’s Opposition of controlling the parliament, sympathising with North Korea and paralysing the government with anti-state activities.

Mr. Yoon made the announcement in a televised briefing on Tuesday (December 3, 2024), vowing to “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order”.

It wasn’t immediately clear how Mr. Yoon’s step would affect the country’s governance and democracy. The move drew immediate opposition from politicians, including the leader of his own conservative party, Han Dong-hoon, who called the decision “wrong” and vowed to “stop it with the people”. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Mr. Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, called Mr. Yoon’s announcement “illegal and unconstitutional”.

“Through this martial law, I will rebuild and protect the free Republic of Korea, which is falling into the depths of national ruin,” Mr. Yoon said during a televised speech, invoking South Korea’s formal name.

“I will eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalize the country,” he said, while asking the people to believe in him and tolerate “some inconveniences”.

Mr. Yoon — whose approval rating has dipped in recent months — has struggled to push his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022.

Mr. Yoon’s conservative People Power Party had been locked in an impasse with the liberal opposition Democratic Party over next year’s budget bill. The opposition has also been attempting to pass motions to impeach three top prosecutors, including the chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, in what the conservatives have called a vendetta against their criminal investigations on Mr. Lee, who has been seen as the favorite for the next presidential election in 2027 in opinion polls.

Mr. Yoon has also been dismissing calls for independent investigations into scandals involving his wife and top officials, drawing quick, strong rebukes from his political rivals. The Democratic Party reportedly called an emergency meeting of its lawmakers following Mr. Yoon’s announcement.