Political Unrest In South Korea Reaches New Level After President Yoon’s Arrest

On January 19th, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested on charges of rebellion related to his decision made on December 3rd to declare martial law. Protests have broken out as President Yoon’s supporters learn of his arrest, escalating when a group of rioters broke into Seoul’s Western District Court earlier today and destroyed parts of the property. While the legal proceedings currently underway in Seoul will ultimately determine who will become president, observers around the world wait to see who will lead South Korea out of the worst political turmoil the country has experienced since democratizing nearly four decades ago.

As South Korea grapples with political unrest, analysts emphasize the need for South Korea’s democratic institutions to operate with integrity to restore order and enforce democratic norms.  According to PBS, an investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) is being carried out with the help of military and police forces in Seoul, and the Constitutional Court is also deliberating on whether President Yoon should be formally impeached. As the Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, Elaine Pearson, notes, these institutions play a “crucial role” in putting South Korea back on a democratic trajectory.

The opposition-led National Assembly, along with the Constitutional Court and CIO, have taken swift action against President Yoon’s unconstitutional declaration of martial law last month. South Korea’s National Assembly met in the days following December 3rd to overturn the ruling, despite military forces being ordered by President Yoon to prevent Members of Parliament from entering the building (BBC). On December 14th, South Korea’s parliament moved to impeach President Yoon. Subsequently, the immediate successor to the presidency, Prime Minister Han Duck-so, was also impeached for interfering in the case against Yoon. As judges in South Korea work to reach a consensus on the constitutionality of President Yoon’s actions, it is clear that leaders in Seoul are motivated to bring those responsible for derailing political stability to justice. 

President Yoon, part of the right-wing People Power Party (PPP), was elected in 2022 and has since become notorious for violations of civil liberties. According to Human Rights Watch, an international organization committed to pointing out violations of human rights, President Yoon’s rule has been characterized by crimes such as arresting opposition leaders and journalists, eroding women’s rights, and preventing democratic institutions from operating freely. In 2024, the left-leaning opposition party called The Democratic Party (DPK) won a majority in the National Assembly, curtailing President Yoon’s capacity to govern unbound by legal constraints. According to the BBC, accusations of corruption and parliamentary gains by the DPK likely led President Yoon to declare martial law as a way to entrench his fleeting power. 

While South Korea’s national-level institutions have already made several of the necessary efforts to eliminate corruption from within the executive branch, the last month of unprecedented political turmoil will undoubtedly pose great administrative challenges for political leaders well into the future.  Suspending President Yoon’s powers and investigating potential violations of constitutional law are critical first steps, but in the coming weeks, the CIO must conduct a thorough investigation and provide sufficient evidence to ensure the Constitutional Court decides to uphold the impeachment. As chaos surges with the official arrest of President Yoon, political institutions in South Korea must use their power to secure a path forward in rebuilding an executive government committed to abiding by the constitution and promising civil liberties. 

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