South Korea has been going through an unprecedented period of political turbulence since early December 2024, involving the removal of two successive presidents and plunging the country into a major constitutional crisis.
The fall of Yoon Suk-yeol
On 3 December 2024, President Yoon Suk-yeol attempted to impose martial law, sending the army to parliament in a gesture that recalled the dark hours of the military dictatorship.
This shock decision provoked an immediate reaction:
- Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets
- Parliament successfully passed a motion demanding the lifting of the state of emergency
- Yoon was forced to back out a few hours later
On 14 December, the National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon Suk-yeol, resulting in his immediate suspension.
The former president faces serious charges: :
- He is accused of "rebellion" for his attempt to impose martial law.
- A court accused him of allowing the army to open fire to enter parliament.
Despite an arrest warrant issued against him, Yoon remains entrenched in his residence, refusing to submit to justice. An attempted arrest on 3 January 2025 failed, causing tensions between security forces.
Impeachment of the interim president
The political chaos worsened when the first acting president, Han Duck-soo, was also ousted by parliament on 27 December.
It was the first time an interim president had been ousted since South Korea became a democracy.
Currently, the Minister of Finance, Choi Sang-mok, is the second acting president. The Constitutional Court has until mid-June to rule on the impeachment of Yoon Suk-yeol.
Consequences
This crisis has important implications:
- South Korea has dropped in the V-Dem Swedish Institute’s liberal democracy index.
- The global press freedom ranking for South Korea dropped from 47th to 62nd place between 2023 and May 2024.
- Large-scale demonstrations are planned, with rallies of critics and supporters of Yoon.
The upcoming visit to Seoul of US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken underlines the international importance of this crisis.
This unprecedented situation highlights the challenges facing South Korea’s democracy and raises questions about the country’s political future.
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