A declaration of martial law has pushed South Korea into a frenzy, with the issue sparking controversy among Korean citizens on whether the country’s president should be impeached or not.
Utilizing his executive powers, South Korean President Yook Suk Yeol attempted to put South Korea under lockdown by declaring martial law late into the night on December 3, with those actions leading to the suspension of his executive powers as president and later, his impeachment.
With the country immediately kicking into action after Yoon’s edict, martial law was lifted later that night at 2:30 a.m. on December 4.
Many were in disbelief due to this incident, with a lot wondering about the effect that it will have on the nation, and on society.
“I could not believe that was real. I initially thought it was a lie, but once I found out that it was true. I felt betrayed by Yoon,” Korean government worker Kyunghee Sun said. “Because of the impact of the declaration of martial law, I am worried about us, as a government, being behind on policy issues, or having to deal with the edict’s negative impact in the near future.”
Many Koreans were reminded of the Gwangju uprising alongside this incident.
According to Britannica, the Gwangju uprising was a mass protest against the South Korean military government, with over a quarter of million people participating being brutally repressed during May 18-27, 1980.
Under the guidance of Chun Doo Hwan, who was later named the Chief of the Korean CIA, martial law was declared in May of 1980.
According to left-wing party member Sun Young Park, there were “multiple factors” that contributed to the dismissal of Yoon’s declaration.
The primary one being that Korea’s parliament had a scheduled parliamentary meeting the next day in Seoul, meaning that all parliament members were stationed at the right place, and at the right time, in order to take action against Yoon’s decree.
According to The New York Times, Yoon has been suspended from his position, with the nation’s Constitutional Court in the process of deciding whether or not to reinstate him.
“[December 28] was a date that would have been good to call [Yoon] into court, but our current president kept rejecting [prosecution’s call to court],” Park said. “We are actually expecting him to get arrested.”
Many worries occupy the minds of many South Koreans, especially concerning the media’s contribution to this issue.
“What people are a little worried about is, [since] Yoon Suk Yeol’s case is really big right now, and people are just shouting [for his impeachment], because of these big incidents, that news can be covered up,” Park said. “It really happens, sometimes, in Korea. When an issue is happening, especially when it comes to politics in Korea, sometimes new coverage, on celebrities getting drugs or getting married, or other news gossip can cover up political news.”
Many Koreans are divided on the situation at hand, with Yoon’s party maintaining their support for him, while others, mostly consisting of the opposition party, are in agreement of his impeachment.
“Announcing martial law to society, it’s not illegal,” Korean citizen and right wing member K* said. “I believe that we need patience and need to wait for the final outcome.”
Whereas for others, action is being awaited, whether it is voluntary or involuntary.
“I definitely agree with his impeachment. He should not be in that position.” Sun said, “If he truly cares about the country, he should come down voluntarily.”
Some feel that this issue has shed light on the disconnect between the right and left-wing parties in Korea.
According to K, he blames the Korean education system, and how subjects are taught without thinking of the “why” or the “how.”
There is a lack of discussion held between students.
“We need to understand the diversity within our country. Diversity is a way to build a strong society, ” K said. “We need to think from an objective view to better understand the diversity in our country. That’s why our society is split in two.”
Yoon’s actions have really become a call-to-action for many youths, most are at the forefront of protests. “Protests are getting bigger and bigger right now. I live right by city hall, and I can see people protesting on the street everyday,” Park said.
*For this article, K requested to remain anonymous.