South Korea’s crisis reflects a stark political divide

Only six hours passed between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law on Tuesday night and his resignation, leaving the country in turmoil.

As a senior critic working under former President Moon Jae-in, Yoon oversaw the arrests of former conservative President Park Geun-hye and Samsung chairman Lee Jae-yong following a corruption scandal. Removal of the Park in 2017.

Now, however, it is Yoon who faces the prospect of prosecution and prison time after his political scandals left him isolated and seemingly running out of time despite his term set to 2027.

“They have two options: resign or be impeached,” said Gi-wook Shin, a professor of modern Korea at Stanford University.

Analysts described this week’s move as a blow to the isolated and impetuous one-time leader who is struggling with a recession, historically low approval ratings and an opposition-controlled parliament.

Yoon’s calculation that a bold declaration of martial law would galvanize the politicians behind him appears to have backfired dramatically, analysts said, leaving him more politically and legally exposed than ever.

“The manner in which the military security announcement was made is a hallmark of Yoon’s leadership: poorly planned and poorly executed,” said Karl Friedhoff, a Korea expert at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

“Instead of being impeached for personal and political reasons, he will face charges of coup d’état.”

Yoon’s tough rule and the massive move to challenge him are indicative of the “politics of revenge” in power. South Korea‘s democracy, a division that persisted even with the rise of the country’s economic and social influence.

The division was clearly visible in Yoon’s call for North Korea’s influence on Seoul.

Suh Bok-kyung, a political commentator, said Yoon’s portrayal of the opposition as “anti-North, anti-government” is similar to what previous South Korean authoritarian leaders have adopted to denigrate political opponents.

“Comparing them to North Korea, they see the opposition as our foreign enemy because they think they are disrupting our country,” he said.

“He is trying to take advantage of the problems that the South Korean people have faced for a long time during the Korean War with communism, but this is wrong – he should be trying to persuade people to know why his policies are needed and to compete fairly with his political opponents. People’s support.”

This week’s events have shown “the weakness and strength of South Korean democracy”, Shin said.

“It has exposed problems and issues such as fragmentation, the ability to reach the authorities and the weakening of public trust,” he added. “But the rapid rejection of martial law by the National Assembly and the public outcry showed a strong institutional review, social interaction and an opportunity to strengthen the security of democracy.”

A political strategist when he was elected in 2022 with less than a one-point margin over his opponent, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, Yoon brought an unwavering approach to the presidency.

But his hurtful behavior went down badly with South Koreans, and alienated political allies including his former political supporter and former prosecutor friend Han Dong-hoon, leader of Yoon’s opposition People Power party who has publicly opposed the military president’s announcement. .

“He may be a good lawyer, but he entered politics without preparation,” Shin said. “They don’t care at all if they think they can run the country through martial law.”

Yoon has been struggling to resolve long-standing conflicts with hit doctors and labor unions, while his leadership has also been linked to allegations surrounding his wife, first lady Kim Keon Hee, including allegations that she received bribes such as a luxury bag from a Christian pastor, and asset sales. and other errors.

Last month, Yoon criticized recent efforts by prosecutors to launch an investigation into Kim. In his statement to the nation, he cited the opposition’s efforts to destroy those who participated in the decision to drop the first lady’s investigation as a reason for his decision.

“He seems to believe that he and his wife are involved in politics and that those who are against them are anti-government groups,” said Shin Yul, a professor of politics at Myongji University in Seoul.

Critics say Yoon praised former military chief Chun Doo-hwan, the South Korean dictator who seized power in 1979 and oversaw the killing of many student protesters, as a “politically good” man. Until this week, Chun’s attack was the last time martial law was declared in South Korea.

Friedhoff said that since the fall of Chun’s regime, democratic politics in South Korea has been involved in “revenge” of endless one-sided factional conflicts. Of the seven presidents elected since 1987, three have served prison terms and one has died by suicide while under investigation for corruption.

The irony, say experts, is that the head of state who is focused on politics and his leading role in this journey, like many of his predecessors, can be explained by this.

“There was a future where he could have escaped the last two years and possibly escaped prison,” Friedhoff said. “But the ship has sailed, and he will be known as a traitor to Korean democracy.”