South Korea: The Deeper Story Behind the Unrest
President Yoon's surprise martial law declaration is a culmination of longstanding tensions – and offers lessons to the world.
On Tuesday night, local time, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol abruptly declared martial law. The announcement, broadcast live on television, plunged the nation into shock and disbelief. It rekindled memories of an authoritarian past that remains uncomfortably recent. This marked the first such decree since South Korea transitioned to democracy in 1987. Though brief – the declaration lasted only six hours before Yoon rescinded it following lawmakers' vote to lift it – this sudden descent into military oversight left an indelible mark on the nation's collective consciousness.
To much of the global audience, this event came as a shock. For South Koreans, though it was surprising, it felt like an inevitable moment – the culmination of tensions that had been building for a long time. More than 100,000 protesters, joined by over 4,000 professors and 1,466 Catholic priests, have been calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s resignation for more than a month. This movement already echoed the massive protests that led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye in 2017 for corruption and abuse of power, showcasing South Koreans’ enduring commitment to holding leaders accountable.
News coverage has excelled in capturing the fast-paced chaos of what many are calling the six darkest hours in South Korea this year. Dramatic headlines and live updates have detailed every twist and turn. However, the global audience remains largely unaware of the simmering unrest that led to this breaking point. The deeper story – of widespread domestic dissatisfaction with democracy – has yet to be fully told. With little time for the media to provide this crucial context, it is essential to examine the nationwide protests already underway before Yoon's shocking declaration of martial law.
Vetoes, Corruption, and Inequality
At the heart of the protests have been allegations of corruption and abuse of power. Yoon has exercised his veto power 25 times since 2023, blocking investigations into allegations against his wife, first lady Kim Keon Hee, including claims of stock manipulation in Deutsch Motors. This is the most frequent use of veto power South Korea has seen since its first president, Syngman Rhee, who faced impeachment in 1952 and eventually resigned in 1960 amid widespread public outrage over his authoritarian rule and attempts to consolidate power.
These vetoes, alongside scandals like the “Myung Tae-Kyun Gate,” have eroded public trust in the administration. The scandal centers around allegations that political broker Myung Tae-Kyun, a close ally of Yoon and his wife Kim, manipulated public opinion during the 2022 presidential election. Through his Future Korea Research Institute, Myung reportedly conducted biased polls favoring Yoon to influence election narratives. A leaked phone recording released by the opposition Democratic Party has further implicated Yoon in discussions about candidate nominations, fueling allegations of election interference. Yoon has denied any wrongdoing.
Beyond these vetoes, Yoon’s administration has faced widespread criticism for systemic failures in governance, public safety, and economic management. The 2022 Itaewon tragedy, in which 159 people lost their lives during a crowd crush, starkly exposed grave inadequacies in public safety protocols and emergency response systems. Lawmakers passed a bill to open a special investigation into this tragedy, but Yoon vetoed it.
Similarly, the death of Marine Corporal Chae Su-geun during military service revealed systemic abuses and negligence within the military. Instead of enabling accountability, Yoon has repeatedly vetoed special prosecutor bills aimed at investigating these military abuses. Public frustration has only grown as investigations into these tragedies have failed to hold senior officials accountable. Meanwhile, Yoon’s administration has also faced allegations of undermining press freedom by targeting journalists and media outlets critical of the government.
Adding to these failures is a healthcare system on the brink of collapse, where prolonged medical staff shortages, exacerbated by budget cuts, have caused long-term disruptions in patient care. Instead of addressing these structural issues, the government has opted for a hasty increase in medical school quotas – a move experts warn will only further destabilize the system.
Yoon’s economic policies have similarly drawn heavy criticism for favoring the wealthy with tax cuts while reducing public welfare budgets, deepening inequality between South Korea’s elites and its struggling middle and working classes. Rising household debt and record-breaking small business closures have fueled calls for reform, yet the administration’s inaction has only alienated the public further. Compounding these grievances, a 15% cut to South Korea’s research and development budget has alarmed academics and scientists, who warn that this decision jeopardizes the nation’s innovation-driven economy and long-term global competitiveness – a concern echoed by prominent universities like Yonsei and Ewha Womans University, which cite these cuts as emblematic of broader governance failures.
A Lesson for the World
South Korea’s overnight struggle has reminded the world of a stark truth: democracy is not self-sustaining. It demands vigilance. It requires collective action.
Martial law has been lifted, but the fight is far from over. On Saturday, South Korea's National Assembly will vote on the impeachment of President Yoon. If the motion secures a two-thirds majority, the Constitutional Court will decide its fate. With protests still raging and reform demands growing louder, the outcome of this vote will likely shape the nation’s democratic future.
What the world witnessed this week in South Korea highlights the crucial role of institutions and citizens working together to confront governance failures and uphold democratic principles. In an era marked by widespread democratic backsliding and the steady erosion of institutions, South Korea's fight for justice and transparency stands as a powerful testament to resilience. Safeguarding democracy is a collective responsibility – a lesson that resonates far beyond its borders.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Zeteo.
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Thank you so much, for shedding some light on a matter that I didn't understand, at all.
Thanks for this thorough and succinct summary of the context, historical and recent.
Really helpful!