Upheaval in South Korea: What Happened & Why It Matters

Martial law has been lifted and the people are recovering daily lives, but local political and security situations are not at ease.

South Korea’s Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who resigned after ordering the military to follow through on the orders of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to assert martial law – the suspension of civil rights for military rule.

What Happened: Late on Tuesday, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. His reason? To try to root out foreign forces in the government, as he alleged members of the opposition party were working in favor of the country’s adversary North Korea. However, lawmakers can vote to overturn martial law, which they did only hours later. And now President Yoon faces possible impeachment as members of his own political party have openly criticized his actions.

Why It Matters: South Korea is a key democratic U.S. ally in the Asia-Pacific region, bordering North Korea (a U.S.-designated state sponsor of terrorism) and a close neighbor to the largest communist country in the world: China. Nearly 30,000 U.S. soldiers are currently stationed in South Korea.

Context Matters: Those who closely watch South Korean politics note that President Yoon has faced many controversies (or what some would call scandals) and has struggled to pass legislation. While noting that, we also should highlight that martial law was used periodically by politicians trying to maintain power in South Korea after the Korean war – because of this, as The Associated Press reports, “military intervention in civilian affairs is still a touchy subject” in South Korea. However, one analyst says that despite the negative connotations associated with martial law, it is possible that President Yoon was trying to use it as a political tool:

“There were people who had said this could’ve been one of Yoon’s options for the past few months given the deadlock in the parliament and the National Assembly. … He probably expected it to go much easier … this is not a man who’s trying to seize power or create a second term or prolong his rule. He is using a very unusual tool as it were in order to try, to from the opposition’s perspective, undermine democracy. From the ruling party’s perspective, trying to get the ball moving. He probably thought he had much more support within the ruling party for his actions than he actually did.” Center for Strategic and International Studies Sydney Seiler

Read More: What to know about South Korea’s short-lived and chaotic period of martial law (The Associated Press)

What has happened in South Korea and what does martial law have to do with it? (CNN)