Martial Law in S. Korea: Chaos from Iron-Fisted Measure Raises Concerns

Editorial

14:40 JST, December 5, 2024

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol may have tried to break the stagnation of national politics with the iron-fisted measure of imposing martial law, but he has ended up driving himself into a corner.

If South Korea’s domestic politics are plunged into chaos, it will inevitably have a negative impact on Japan-South Korea relations and the security environment in East Asia. This is a cause for concern.

On the night of Dec. 3, Yoon suddenly declared martial law, banning all political activities, including in the National Assembly.

The leftwing opposition, which holds the majority in the National Assembly, has repeatedly submitted motions to impeach senior government officials, among other actions, which Yoon believes has paralyzed national politics. He views this behavior as driven by pro-North Korean anti-state forces and emphasized that he declared martial law to protect the constitutional order based on freedom.

This was the first declaration of martial law since the assassination of then President Park Chung-hee in 1979, making it the first since the country’s democratization in 1987.

However, about six hours after making the declaration, Yoon announced that martial law would be lifted as the National Assembly had passed a resolution calling for the order to be rescinded. The situation was tense for a time as troops entered the National Assembly building and protesting citizens gathered nearby. It is fortunate that the situation did not escalate into violent clashes.

While condemning North Korea’s iron-fisted regime and saying he would protect freedom and order, Yoon acted in his own iron-fisted manner, bringing the military into the National Assembly, among other actions, showing he had got his priorities mixed up.

The opposition parties, claiming that the declaration of martial law was a “violation of the Constitution,” submitted a motion to impeach Yoon to the National Assembly.

The motion requires a two-thirds majority of votes among all 300 lawmakers to pass. The ruling party holds 108 seats, more than one-third of the total. However, if there are enough rebellious members of the ruling party, the impeachment motion could be passed, and then the Constitutional Court would decide whether Yoon should be removed from office.

There are concerns about the impact of this chaos in South Korean politics on Japan-South Korea relations. Since taking office, Yoon has consistently promoted the improvement of relations with Japan.

Yoon has helped normalize relations between Japan and South Korea by presenting a solution to the ongoing issue of lawsuits involving former wartime requisitioned workers from the Korean Peninsula, for which an amount equal to compensation will be paid by a foundation under the South Korean government. He and former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also revived reciprocal visits periodically by the leaders of the two countries.

Yoon’s judgment must be evaluated highly, but there is deep-rooted criticism of his policy toward Japan in South Korea, especially by opposition parties, whose lawmakers say that he has made too many concessions to Japan.

Yoon has less than 2½ years left in his term. If he further loses his leadership due to the current turmoil, cooperation with Japan and close cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea could be hindered.

North Korea is pushing ahead with its nuclear and missile development programs and has been involved in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, having sent its troops to Russia. Prolonged turmoil in South Korea would only benefit North Korea. It is hoped that things will be resolved quickly so as not to give any opportunity to be taken advantage of.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 5, 2024)