South Korea: Overturning of martial law a timely victory for democracy

FOR many decades, South Korea has had a stable democracy and its society has thrived. It is ranked as the 14th largest economy in the world, based on nominal GDP, with a figure of 1.7 trillion US dollars

All of that positivism was turned on its head this week when President Yoon Suk Yeol declared an “emergency martial law” – effectively suspending all kinds of political activity and banning any forms of strikes or protests.

His sudden directive also ordered the nation’s media to adhere to military control.

Mr Yoon’s justification for such draconian measures – not seen since military rule ended in the 1980s – was that they were to protect the country from “North Korea’s communist forces” as well as a national assembly in Seoul which is controlled by the opposition and which, the president insisted, has “become a monster that collapses the liberal democracy system”.

Such declarations were swiftly and universally rebuffed, including by Mr Yoon’s own party, and civil disobedience followed on the streets with crowds of people uniting to defy the ban on political protests and to call for the decree to be ended.

Subsequently, enough lawmakers managed to overturn it in the national assembly and, in the face of such opposition, Mr Yoon was forced into a climbdown and sent into retreat.

Of course, North Korea unquestionably poses a persistent threat, particularly under the unpredictable regime of Kim Jong Un. The recent test-firing of the longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile in the country’s history, coupled with the deployment of North Korean troops to support Russia in its conflict with Ukraine, highlights the regime’s aggressive military ambitions and intent to gain practical experience in contemporary warfare.

However, it is imperative to note that there have been no recent signs of any unexpected troop movements that would substantiate President Yoon’s assertion of an imminent threat from North Korea.

In truth, the primary threat to his presidency unequivocally emanates from his political adversaries. In the recent legislative elections held in April, Mr Yoon and his People Power Party faced a devastating defeat at the hands of a coalition of liberal opposition forces, who collectively secured an impressive 192 out of 300 seats in the National Assembly.

When military rule in South Korea came to a decisive end in 1987 it was thanks to a culmination of unceasing protests led by students, workers, and the public in an extraordinary manifestation of popular will.

Now, thankfully, democracy has again demonstrated its resilience against one individual’s efforts to subvert it. And once again, it is the power of the people that has upheld democratic principles, providing a timely reminder for those nations and individuals who wish to destroy such freedoms.