Yoon Suk Yeol’s Impeachment and Controversy

• Yoon Suk Yeol, a former Prosecutor General, became South Korea’s President in 2022.

• His tenure was marked by controversial policies, strained foreign relations, and public dissatisfaction.

• Yoon declared martial law on December 3, 2024, which was quickly repealed.

• Yoon was appointed as the Prosecutor General in June 2019 and was impeached on December 14, 2024.

• He revealed corruption charges against Cho Guk, leading to protests and his resignation after 35 days in office.

• Yoon was suspended by Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae in November 2020, but was reinstated after challenging the suspension in court.

• Yoon resigned from the position of Prosecutor General in March 2021 and announced his presidential candidacy in June 2021.

• He officially joined the conservative People Power Party (PPP) in July 2021 and was selected as the PPP’s presidential candidate in November 2021.

• The divide between conservatives and liberals has become sharp, with conservative supporters being older, less educated, wealthy businessmen, and residents of Gyeongsang North, Gyeongsang South, and Gangwon provinces.

• The prevalence of social media has exacerbated the divide, leading to vendetta politics.

• Yoon’s foreign policies strained relations with Russia and China, and his approach to targeting Opposition leaders deepened public unease.

• In the National Assembly elections in April 2024, six Opposition parties secured 192 seats out of 300, leading to a governance problem.

• Yoon declared emergency martial law on December 3, 2024, and declared the withdrawal of martial law on December 4.

• An impeachment motion was brought in the National Assembly, but failed with only three PPP members voting in favor.