A stress test for South Korea’s democracy

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

It will go down as one of the shortest impositions of martial law in history. Just six hours passed between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of military rule on Tuesday night, and his subsequent reversal. Despite deep divisions, the nation swiftly unified to repudiate the president’s decision. Parliament unanimously voted it down as civilians peacefully protested in the streets and Korean media continued to churn out critiques. South Korea has, for now, withstood a shocking stress test of its democracy. For a key western ally in the Indo-Pacific region, held up as an exemplar for its extraordinary economic transformation and political liberalisation, it is heartening that democracy has shown its mettle.

Still, Yoon’s reckless decision has plunged the country into its worst constitutional crisis in decades. Tuesday night’s scenes were chaotic. Hundreds of soldiers descended on the National Assembly building. Public confusion reigned over whether an attempted coup or a mere piece of political theatre was taking place. Investors took fright, prompting the financial authorities to vow “unlimited” liquidity support for markets. Though Yoon’s experiment with martial law was thankfully shortlived, the episode will be a long-lasting blemish on the country’s democratic record.

His declaration appears to have been the act of a desperate, self-interested leader without a plan. Yoon justified the move in an unscheduled national broadcast, claiming he needed to purge South Korea of “anti-state forces” and to “normalise the country”. He accused opposition parties of holding sympathetic views to North Korea, reflecting a long-standing split in the country’s politics and an attempt to play on fears over its hostile northern neighbour. His party, the opposition and civilians all knew he was not acting on a genuine threat.

Yoon has been a lame duck president. He claimed the presidency in 2022 with a winning margin of only 0.73 per cent. He has frequently butted heads with the opposition-controlled legislature. A number of laws he has backed have been voted down. Tensions came to a head last week when the opposition voted to make cuts to a government budget bill. Yoon claimed the cuts would turn South Korea into a “drug paradise”.

The president perhaps gambled that declaring martial law might enable him to push his agenda through. Other pressures may also have played into his decision. His tenure has been mired in corruption scandals, including one involving his wife. Yoon’s approval ratings have been poor. Opposition leaders have also been attempting to impeach members of his cabinet and prosecutors.

Political paralysis has unfortunately become a norm in South Korea. Its presidential system gives the head of state and government extensive powers, but limits them to a single term. This has led to micromanagement and regular use of veto powers. Changes of president often come with sharp reversals in policy. Several Korean presidents have also gone on to face prosecutions and convictions.

Yoon should be held accountable for putting Korea’s international standing and its hard-won democratic progress at stake. Though the won and Korean stocks reversed some of their initial losses, this week’s events will add to existing investor concerns over South Korea’s economic prospects and stability. Lawmakers have rightly submitted a motion for his impeachment, which will be voted upon later this week. The president’s position is clearly untenable.

The public and institutional response to Yoon’s actions has shown that Korean democracy is robust. This testing moment should now provide the wake-up call the nation needs to build an even more solid edifice on those foundations.