Yoon Suk Yeol and Martial Law in South Korea: Who is the Man?

In a late TV address, Yoon Suk Yeol surprisingly addressed his nation: “In order to protect a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist troops and to eliminate anti-state elements (…), I hereby declare martial law “, said the South Korean president on Tuesday evening. Demonstrators gather in front of the National Assembly in Seoul and parliament demands that the measure be repealed. Tense hours follow. Then Yoon Suk Yeol bows to the protest and announces that martial law will be lifted.

Who is the man who, for many observers, unexpectedly took this drastic step of martial law? It was the first time it had been imposed in South Korea in more than four decades since the end of the military dictatorship in the late 1980s.

Yoon, 63, studied law and worked as a prosecutor for 26 years. At the end of 2021, he announced his candidacy, in which he advocated a liberal economic policy, improving relations with Japan and a tough course towards his neighbors North Korea and China. During the election campaign, Yoon repeatedly drew attention to himself through controversies – for example through anti-feminist rhetoric, which gained him popularity, particularly among young men.

His strategy worked: with a wafer-thin lead and little previous political experience, he won the presidential election in South Korea in May 2022. In doing so, he brought the country’s conservatives back to power with calls for a more confrontational stance toward North Korea and a stronger alliance with the United States. He replaced progressive President Moon Jae-in.

When he was sworn in in May of that year, Yoon vowed to stand up for values ​​such as freedom and liberal democracy. But shortly after his election, the conservative began using lawsuits, government regulators and criminal investigations to combat what he described as disinformation – with his efforts particularly directed at media outlets. Police and prosecutors repeatedly raided homes and editorial offices, accusing Yoon’s office of spreading “fake news.”

In keeping with his election promise, Yoon stopped détente towards North Korea and initiated a historic reconciliation process with Japan. In March 2023, Yoon became the first South Korean president to travel to Japan since 2011 and, on the anniversary of the independence movement against Japanese occupation, called the former military aggressor from World War II a “partner” who shared the same values. The reconciliation was largely due to the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and the growing military power of the Chinese.

Nevertheless, in his first year in office there were repeated protests calling for his resignation. He was sharply criticized for his economic policy and a serious scandal involving his wife. Today’s First Lady Kim is accused of, among other things, tax fraud, bribery and corruption.

In April, Yoon’s People Power Party suffered a crushing defeat in parliamentary elections that gave the opposition a large majority. This puts him in a near-constant political stalemate with the opposition, which controls the South Korean parliament – and which he has now accused of sympathizing with North Korea.