South Korea is facing unprecedented political turmoil after its suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a failed declaration of martial law. An 83-page prosecutors' report obtained by AFP revealed that Yoon had brushed aside strong objections from key cabinet ministers before his short-lived power grab, which has thrown the nation into chaos.
Cabinet Warnings Ignored On December 3, Yoon's martial law bid sent shockwaves across the political landscape. Before the declaration, during an emergency cabinet meeting, senior ministers had expressed skepticism about such a far-reaching drastic move, stating the probable repercussions it would bring economically, diplomatically, and politically.
- Han Duck-soo, then prime minister, warned, "The economy would face severe difficulties, and I fear a decline in international credibility."
- The foreign minister, Cho Tae-yul, said that martial law would mean "diplomatic repercussions but also destroy the achievements South Korea has built over the past 70 years."
- Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said, "This is devastating for our economy and credibility."
Despite these grave misgivings, Yoon reportedly disregarded the warnings, insisting that opposition supremacy in April's parliamentary election presented an existential threat to South Korea. He is quoted to have said, "Neither the economy nor diplomacy will function" without martial law.
Fallout of the Failed Power Grab
The botched declaration has set off:
- Yoon was suspended from duties and holed up in his residence, surrounded by security officers, resisting arrest.
- Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who briefly became acting president, was also impeached for allegedly failing to complete Yoon's impeachment process.
- The Constitutional Court has scheduled an impeachment trial of Yoon for January 14 and said it may continue the trial in his absence.
Yoon is accused of insurrection, punishable with imprisonment, and can have a sentence as serious as the death penalty depending on the verdict. It was also revealed in the prosecution's report that Yoon approved the use of force by the military to enter the parliament during the foiled martial law attempt.
The crisis has sharply polarized South Korea, with some seeing Yoon's moves as a necessary counterbalance to opposition control, and others as an unconstitutional power grab that reverses decades of democratic gains.
Yoon's lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, has denied the report on the ground that evidence does not constitute insurrection legally. But the Constitutional Court will more than likely consider the results of the prosecutors' findings during its impeachment trial.
A Nation at a Crossroads
South Korea stares into the abyss as it tries to navigate the fallouts of the botched Yoon martial law bid. The incident has shaken the very core of the nation's political structures and has begged questions about the strength of its democratic institutions.All eyes would centre on the judgment of the Constitutional Court and far-reaching implication this would have on political stability and international prestige of South Korea as impeachment trial drew closer.