By Kristin Hynes

On December 3rd, South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, which lasted six hours. While addressing the Korean people nine days later, he attempted to defend his position on why he declared martial law and he also claimed that opposition parties were equating it to an insurrection. During his speech, he stated that the controversial move was in response to North Korean influence and other issues within his country. He blamed opposition parties for refusing to recognize a president that the people elected. However, opposition parties are not the only ones finding Yoon declaring martial law problematic as Yoon has faced backlash from within his own political party as well.

Yoon’s party, the People Power Party (PPP), was founded in early 2020. This right-wing group which was the result of a merger of several parties, first began as the United Future Party, before changing its name in August of that same year. The party also formed as part of a reorganization of conservative groups in South Korea, following the impeachment of former president Park Guen-hye in 2017. After Yoon declared martial law, six opposition parties proposed an impeachment bill against the president, while the PPP took a stance against his impeachment as a party position. Nevertheless, the party has been divided, with some arguing that he should be removed from office. For example, Han Dong-hoon, head of the PPP, has stated that Koreans could be put in great danger if Yoon remains as president. He believes that actions similar to the declaration of martial law could happen once again.

Yoon’s presidency has been embroiled in controversy. He became South Korea’s thirteenth president in 2022, following Moon Jae-in. Moon led his country for five years or one term as South Korea only allows its presidents to rule for this length of time. The elections in 2022 happened when South Korea was still recovering from COVID-19 and was also dealing with income inequality and a slew of other problems. The election between Yoon and Lee Jae-myung was the closest in South Korean history with Yoon receiving 48.56 percent of the total votes compared to Lee’s 47.83 percent.

According to a Gallup poll that was taken two months before the election, the two biggest issues that respondents wanted their new president to focus on was strengthening the economy and tackling real estate challenges. Another Gallup poll released this past November showed that Yoon’s approval rating had fallen to 19%, meaning that only 19% of those surveyed approved of Yoon’s performance as president. His already low popularity comes at a time when public anger over his declaration of martial law has further eroded his trust in leadership. Polls that have been taken since December 3rd have shown that the majority of South Koreans want to see Yoon impeached.

On the 14th of December, Yoon was impeached due to his declaration of martial law nearly two weeks earlier. South Korea’s former prime minister, Han Duck-soo, assumed the role of acting president. Han too would be impeached. On December 27th, South Korean lawmakers voted to impeach Han as well. His impeachment comes just two weeks after Yoon’s impeachment.

The impeachment of a president, and then the acting president raises questions about the stability of South Korea’s democratic institutions. Additionally, with the ongoing issues within the country, the situation also has broader implications for its approach to regional security in the face of North Korea. Following Yoon’s declaration of martial law, which he claimed was in part due to North Korean influence, was criticized by North Korean state media. Korean Central News Agency, the communist country’s state news agency, referred to what occurred on December 3rd as a “shocking incident” and done by a “fascist dictatorship.” When dealing with its northern neighbor, South Korea needs to demonstrate resilience in times of crisis, or else it will appear weak and vulnerable. This could potentially invite further provocations from the North.

To add to South Korea’s troubles, a plane crash in South Jeolla province on December 29th. While the crash itself does not have an effect on the current political turmoil, it does not help boost the country’s moral. The crash which killed more than 170 people, is the deadliest plane crash in South Korean history. According to Human Rights Watch, South Korea is struggling with issues pertaining to women’s rights, freedom of expression, worker’s rights, among other problems. The impeachment of South Korea’s president, followed by the impeachment of its acting president, followed by a major tragedy in the form of a plane crash, all contribute to the deepening crisis, both politically and socially. South Korea will need strong leadership to deal with obstacles both within the country, and abroad.  Otherwise, the deepening divide could hinder efforts to recover when crises arise.

Kristin Hynes is a PhD candidate in International Relations at Florida International University who primarily focuses on East Asia. She can be reached at Kristinhynes.com.