Martial law declaration faced backlash from parliament and Yoon's own party

4/12/2024 6:05

        South Korean President Yoon Suk
        Yeol's shocking late-night declaration of martial law brought
        years of clashes with domestic opponents, the media and even his
        own conservative party to a head and threw his political future
        into doubt.
        
        He promised to roll back that order only hours later after
        parliament, including some members of his own party, voted to
        block the move.
        
        Yoon squeaked out a victory in the tightest presidential
        election in South Korean history in 2022 on a wave of discontent
        over economic policy, scandals and gender wars, reshaping the
        political future of Asia's fourth-largest economy.
        
        He was embraced by leaders in the West as a partner in the
        U.S.-led effort to unify democracies against growing
        authoritarianism in China, Russia and elsewhere.
        But even as he talked up a foreign policy of shared democratic
        values, Yoon drew increasing accusations of heavy-handed
        leadership at home, and fears of more strident crackdowns have
        percolated for some time.
        During his confirmation hearing as defense minister in
        September, Kim Yong-hyun, then Yoon's head of presidential
        security, denied opposition lawmakers' suggestions that his
        appointment was part of preparations to declare martial law.
        
        A spokesman for Yoon did not respond to repeated phone
        calls.
        
        Yoon's move comes as South Korea tries to shore up its
        position before the Jan. 20 inauguration of U.S. President-elect
        Donald Trump, who clashed with Yoon's predecessor over trade and
        paying for U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.
        
        "For a president who has focused so much on South Korea's
        international reputation, this makes South Korea look very
        unstable," said Mason Richey, a professor at Hankuk University
        of Foreign Studies in Seoul. "This will have a negative effect
        on financial and currency markets and South Korea's diplomatic
        place in the world."
        
        One Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity to
        discuss sensitive politics, said the martial law declaration
        would complicate conversations about South Korea joining more
        multinational diplomatic efforts.
        
        Jenny Town of the U.S.-based Stimson Center think tank said
        the move appeared "desperate and dangerous" and could spell the
        beginning of the end of Yoon's presidency.
        
        "He was already unpopular, but this might just be the final
        straw to move impeachment processes forward," she said.
        
        
        
        EROSION IN DEMOCRACY
        
        Democracy in South Korea took a step backward since Yoon
        took office, the Varieties of Democracy Institute at the
        University of Gothenburg in Sweden said in an annual report in
        March, citing legal cases against figures associated with the
        previous administration and assaults on gender equality and
        freedom of expression.
        
        Yoon has responded to criticisms by declaring them fake
        news, filing more defamation cases than other recent presidents
        and in some cases restricting media access.
        
        Under Yoon, South Korea dropped from 47th to 62nd in the
        global press freedom index unveiled this year by Reporters
        Without Borders.
        
        In some cases he claimed "pro-North Korean" or "anti-state"
        forces were behind criticism of him - language he used on
        Tuesday to justify his martial law order.
        
        "The forces of communist totalitarianism have disguised
        themselves as democracy activists, human rights advocates and
        progressive activists," Yoon said in speech last year.
        
        The president's ruling conservative People Power Party
        suffered a heavy loss in April's general election as the main
        opposition Democratic Party of Korea took 175 out of the 300
        seats in the National Assembly.
        
        The Democratic Party, which is in disarray with its leader
        convicted of election law violations and facing charges of
        corruption, clashed with Yoon over budgets and investigations
        into Yoon's wife and top officials.
        
        In November, Yoon denied wrongdoing in an influence-peddling
        scandal involving him and his wife that has driven his approval
        ratings to record lows.
        
        Yoon has also taken a hard line against labour unions, as
        well as striking doctors who oppose a major healthcare reform
        plan that would add 2,000 medical students a year to make up
        what the government says is a severe shortage of physicians.
        
        Tuesday's martial law decree ordered those doctors back to
        work.
        
        Yoon's handling of the scandals as well as the doctors'
        strike led to public rifts with Han Dong-hoon, his former
        confidant and current leader of Yoon's People Power Party.
        
        Han and the PPP called for Yoon to roll back the order.
        
        David Rhee, 48, said he was a PPP supporter but came out to
        protest outside the parliament on Wednesday because Yoon's move
        was beyond comprehension.
        
        "Communist forces? That is Yoon's dogma, not fact," he said.