The reports of the imposition of martial law by the President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, on 10:25 pm KST, December 3, spread rapidly through social media, shocking the whole world. For most of South Korea, it was the first time they had heard that the President was imposing martial law since they were brought up under the very same democracy and only saw or heard about martial law when their parents read about it in history.
The news prompted lawmakers and citizens to gather at the National Assembly, where the opposition, led by Lee Jae-Myung, head of the Democratic Party, entered the assembly to vote on the President’s decision.
Armed troops attempted to enter the building, jostling with lawmakers and staff, but were unsuccessful in halting proceedings, which led to a vote rejecting the martial law. Consequently, after facing an ordeal for six hours, the President had to dissolve the state of martial law at 4:40 am KST on December 4.
Even if the declaration of emergency martial law surprised everyone, no one should have been surprised. Many experts had been discussing the possibility of its imposition long before the recent appointments of close allies to Yoon’s cabinet. This heightened the suspicion of a possible ‘palace coup.’ However, what triggered this extreme measure?
Reaction To Intensifying Pressure The administration of President Yoon has been plagued by corruption allegations and misgovernance since 2022. Such instances include his mishandling of the doctors’ protest and the Itaewon crowd disaster, over which the opposition and the public were greatly outraged.
Besides governance issues, the First Lady is now also an issue. She was blamed for corruption, scandals, and interference with the activities inside the presidential office. However, things worsened after the April National Assembly elections when the opposition emerged with a majority, making it difficult for the President’s party to pass legislation and conduct normal proceedings.
