Letter from Seoul - 27

What follows is a brief timeline of the political implosion of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The 64-year-old President Yoon was elected to a five-year term on March 9, 2022 when he narrowly defeated Democratic Party nominee Lee Jae-myung by less than a percentage point. He assumed office as president on May10, becoming the first elected president to be born after the Korean War.

2024

Dec. 3: Shortly before 10:30 p.m., Yoon shocked everyone when he declared on national television he was imposing martial law to root out “anti-state forces” and overcome political deadlock. An hour later the military issued a decree banning activity by political parties and lawmakers, and troops and police descended on the opposition-controlled parliament. Staffers used barricades and fire extinguishers to ward off special operations soldiers who arrived by helicopter and broke windows as they entered parliament.

Lawmakers hopped fences to avoid the security cordons and crowds of protesters gathered.

Dec. 4: Defying the military's order, 190 lawmakers in the early hours unanimously voted to reject Yoon's declaration and troops began to leave.

About three and a half hours later, Yoon gave another televised speech, announcing he was lifting martial law. The decree was in effect for about six hours.

Opposition parties submitted a motion to impeach Yoon.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Yoon “badly misjudged” his decision to declare martial law, which was “deeply problematic” and “illegitimate.”

Dec. 5: Yoon's People Power Party, although divided, decided to oppose his impeachment.

Dec. 7: Yoon addressed the nation to apologize, saying he would put his fate in the hands of the PPP, but not saying he would resign.A vote to impeach Yoon failed as the PPP boycotted, depriving parliament of a quorum.

Dec. 8: Prosecutors named Yoon as the subject of a criminal investigation over the martial law attempt. Ex-Defense Minister Kim was arrested.

Dec. 9: The justice ministry barred Yoon from leaving South Korea.

Dec. 10: Kwak Jong-geun, commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, told a parliamentary committee that Yoon gave an order to “drag out” lawmakers from parliament after declaring martial law.

Ex-Defense Minister Kim attempted suicide.

Dec. 12: Yoon said in another televised speech he would “fight to the end,” alleging North Korea had hacked South Korea's election commission and expressing doubt over his party's landslide election defeat in April. The National Election Commission denied the claim.

Dec. 14: Parliament impeached Yoon with the support of 204 of the 300 lawmakers in the one-chamber parliament. At least 12 PPP members voted to impeach.

Yoon's presidential powers were suspended, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo became acting President.

The Constitutional Court received parliament's impeachment declaration. It has six-months to decide whether to remove or reinstate him.

December 27: The South Korean parliament voted to impeach its acting president Han Duck-soo, two weeks after voting to impeach President Yoon.

A total of 192 lawmakers voted for his impeachment, more than the 151 votes needed for it to succeed.

Prime minister Han took over the role after President Yoon was impeached by parliament following his failed attempt to impose martial law on December 3.

Han was supposed to lead the country out of its political turmoil, but opposition MPs argued that he was refusing demands to complete Yoon's impeachment process.

This is the first time an acting president has been impeached since South Korea became a democracy in 1980.

Finance minister Choi Sang-mok has replaced Han as acting president.

December 31: A court on Tuesday approved a warrant for Yoon’s arrest, citing his unwillingness to cooperate with investigators. The warrant is valid until today, January 6.

The arrest warrant which would make Yoon the first sitting president to be detained as part of investigations over allegations he masterminded insurrection by trying to impose martial law.

Insurrection is one of the few criminal charges from which a South Korean president does not have immunity.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO), which is leading a joint team of investigators that includes police officers and prosecutors, has until January 6 to execute the arrest warrant.

2025

January 3: Investigators abandoned attempts to arrest President Yoon. Officials entered the presidential compound to find themselves blocked by troops under the control of the presidential security service.

If Yoon is eventually detained, he would become South Korea’s first sitting president to be arrested and be held at the Seoul Detention Centre while the anti-corruption agency had 48-hours to investigate him and either request a warrant for his formal arrest or release him.

Yoon’s defense minister, police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested over their roles in the martial law declaration.

January 4: An estimated crowd of 30,000 Yoon supporters held a rally at Gwanghwamun Square in freezing temperatures.

All photographs are from the Pro-President Yoon Rally at Gwanghwamun Square on Saturday, January 4, 2025.

Sources:

The Guardian

The Korea Herald

Reuters