People calling for the resignation of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Seoul, December 4. (Inside image ©Kyodo)
South Korea's contemporary tryst with democracy is long embedded in a history of military rule. From the country's very founding in 1948 through the late 1980s, it was beset by a series of dictatorships and military coups. Martial law was frequently used to crush the opposition.
Seoul's democratic journey received a shock recently when its President Yoon Suk-yeol stunned the nation and the world by declaring emergency martial law. His decision, apparently taken with the myopic objective of saving his job amid growing domestic political isolation, effectively ended his entire political career.
Ramifications of Yoon's Shock Decision
The National Assembly (parliament) salvaged South Korean democracy by unanimously rebuking the decision. This forced Yoon to accept defeat within a few hours and announce the lifting of the martial law order.
That said, media outlets like CBS News have called the event the "fiercest whiplash" between military control and democracy South Korea has endured since it became a democracy in 1987.
Besides, it opened the floodgates of debate regarding South Korea's model of democracy and its presidential system. The ramifications of this debate are critical for Yoon as a politician. However, they are even more consequential for South Korea itself as one of Asia's largest economies.
Yoon claimed that the declaration was to protect the South from a "threat of the North Korean communist forces." However, he failed to identify any evidence or describe specifics.
Seoul lies just 30 miles south of the Demilitarized Zone. That border is a no-man's land created to separate the North and South when an armistice ended combat in the Korean War in 1953. Yet, the political journey, destiny, and reality of Pyongyang and Seoul are as different as chalk and cheese.
However, the dramatic decision of December 2024 has scarred South Korea's image as one of East Asia's democratic strongholds.
Interestingly, various authoritarian regimes in South Korea have declared martial law at least 15 times since the country's founding in 1948.
The Fate of South Korean Presidents
Amid the martial law upheaval and subsequent political developments, there is a growing consensus that democracy in South Korea is not functioning as it should. In fact, the trajectory of the fate of successive South Korean Presidents, as cited below, says it all.
- Syngman Rhee (1948-1960): Overthrown
- Yoon Bo-Seon (1960-1962): Overthrown
- Park Chung-hee (1962-1979): Assassinated
- Choi Kyu-hah (1979-1980): Removed by a military coup
- Chun Doo-hwan (1981-1988): Sentenced to death after the end of the presidential term. Commuted to life imprisonment and later pardoned.
- Roh Tae-woo (1988-1993): Sentenced to 22 years in prison after the end of the presidential term. Later pardoned alongside Chun.
- Kim Young-sam (1993-1998): Placed under house arrest during the term of President No 3. As president, he secured convictions against two of his predecessors.
- Kim Dae-jung (1998-2003): His swearing-in marked for the first time in Korean political history, that the ruling party transferred power, peacefully, to a democratically elected opposition winner. He also introduced engagement with North Korea via the "Sunshine Policy."
- Roh Moo-hyun (2003-2008): Impeached (later overturned by the Constitutional Court). Investigated for corruption after his term and committed suicide.
- Lee Myung-bak (2008-2013): Arrested for corruption after his presidency, then sentenced to 15 years in prison.
- Park Geun-hye (2013-2017): Impeached and arrested on corruption charges. Sentenced to 24 years in prison.
- Moon Jae In (2017-2022): No imprisonment.
- Yoon Suk-yeol (2022 till date): Survived first impeachment attempt but cannot conduct business under the current climate so will likely resign.
South Korea's Democratic Evolution
From May 1948, when it was newly declared the Republic of Korea, the South has witnessed both democratic authoritarianism and authoritarian exceptionalism in its political evolution. It was only from 2002 onwards that South Korea transitioned into a participatory democracy.
As long as South Korea remains susceptible to ideological, individual, or populist impulses, it will be difficult to adjudicate between political actors.
South Korea's political landscape has been tainted by widespread corruption, the erosion of democratic principles, and efforts by political figures to discredit and undermine their opponents. This weakens the core process of political competition.
Divided opinions over the strength and durability of democracy in South Korea have only widened with Seoul's latest domestic political predicament. That South Korea is gripped by democratic fragmentation can no longer be denied.
Its transition from authoritarian rule to a formal democratic form of governance was relatively recent. Since then, it has had a gloomy track record of presidents being indicted on criminal charges after they leave office. This fundamentally threatens the long-term viability of South Korea's democratic evolution and credibility.
RELATED:
- South Korean Martial Law: A Shocking Turn and What Lies Ahead
- South Korea: Yoon's Martial Law Declaration No Bolt From the Blue
- EDITORIAL | Yoon Suk-yeol's Blunder Was Enormous and the Fallout Could Be Devastating
- INTERVIEW | Tae Yong-ho on North Korea, Unification, and Trump
Author: Dr Monika Chansoria
Learn more about Dr Chansoria and follow her column "All Politics is Global" on JAPAN Forward, and on X (formerly Twitter). The views expressed here are those of the author and do not reflect the views of any organization with which she is affiliated.
