In Seoul, South Korea’s beleaguered President Yoon Suk Yeol issued an apology on Saturday, just hours before an impeachment vote and amid planned mass protests, but he did not resign. His declaration of martial law, the first in over 40 years, shocked the nation and drew international attention.
On Tuesday night, Yoon deployed troops and helicopters to the parliament, but lawmakers quickly voted down the measure, forcing him to retract it early Wednesday morning amidst a dramatic political crisis. Yoon expressed that the martial law declaration was made out of desperation and acknowledged causing public anxiety and inconvenience.
He did not indicate any intention to resign, stating he would leave it to his party to handle the political turmoil. Despite some party members urging him to step down, the People Power Party (PPP) displayed internal division, with many lawmakers still opposed to impeachment, even as calls for his resignation intensified. Massive protests were anticipated, with police expecting tens of thousands to join anti-Yoon demonstrations, while organizers aimed to attract 200,000 participants.
The opposition, which holds 192 out of 300 parliamentary seats, is preparing for a vote that requires just eight defections from Yoon’s party to reach the necessary two-thirds majority for impeachment. If successful, it would lead to his suspension while the Constitutional Court deliberates. Yoon stated he was willing to take legal and political responsibility for the martial law enactment.
However, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung criticized Yoon’s speech as unsatisfactory and argued that the only way out of the current crisis is through the president’s immediate resignation or impeachment. A recent poll revealed Yoon’s approval ratings had plummeted to just 13%.
On Friday night, around 15,000 anti-Yoon protesters expressed their dissent in Seoul, with some staying overnight despite the cold. In Yoon’s original declaration, he justified martial law as a means to protect a liberal South Korea from threats posed by North Korea and to combat “anti-state elements.”
The situation escalated when security forces sealed off the National Assembly, while soldiers made attempts to detain key figures. However, parliamentary staff managed to thwart soldiers’ efforts, allowing enough lawmakers to enter and defeat Yoon’s decree. There were speculations that special forces soldiers hesitated to execute orders that appeared politically motivated rather than for national security.
This incident evoked memories of South Korea’s autocratic past and surprised its international allies, with the US only learning about the events through media coverage. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the expectation that the democratic process would prevail to his Korean counterpart.
