President Yoon Suk Yeol may very well be completely impeached on Friday, months after he plunged South Korea into turmoil by imposing martial regulation.
Mr Yoon’s political future hangs within the stability, with the nation at odds over whether or not or not he needs to be thrown out of workplace for good.
The 64-year-old shocked MPs, the general public and worldwide allies in early December when he declared martial regulation, that means all current legal guidelines relating to civilians have been suspended rather than navy regulation.
It was solely short-lived, as mass protests erupted and politicians on each side voted to make Mr Yoon’s declaration void in a matter of hours.
His presidential powers have been suspended when the opposition-dominated meeting voted to question him on 14 December, accusing him of rise up.
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Second emergency martial regulation was introduced
The vote on Thursday night time – Friday morning UK time – is on whether or not to dismiss or reinstate the president, who will nonetheless face prison costs no matter the result.
Right here we have a look at the person behind South Korea’s political disaster – and his profession to this point.
Prosecuted his personal predecessors
Yoon Suk Yeol was born in 1960 through the navy dictatorship of the Second Republic of Korea.
His father was an emeritus professor of economics and his mom was a lecturer at a girls’s college earlier than giving up her job to marry his father.
He was exempted from nationwide service on account of a situation referred to as anisometropia, which ends up in blurred and unequal imaginative and prescient.
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Declaring his presidential bid in June 2021. Pic: Reuters
He was appointed prosecutor-general by his liberal predecessor, President Moon Jae In, in 2019 – however their relationship broke down when Mr Yoon launched an investigation into considered one of his key ministers – making headlines throughout the nation.
Mr Yoon was later concerned within the prosecutions of former presidents – Park Geun Hye who was impeached and convicted for corruption – and Lee Myung Bak, jailed for bribery, embezzlement, and tax evasion.
When Mr Moon’s single five-year time period resulted in 2022, Mr Yoon introduced his candidacy to be his substitute – regardless of no prior political expertise. He solely received by 0.73% of the vote.
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Taking the presidential oath in Seoul in Could 2022. Pic: Reuters
Anti-Korean unification and US attraction offensive
Being a part of the Individuals Energy Occasion – on the opposite aspect of the political spectrum to his predecessor – Mr Yoon’s insurance policies and magnificence of presidency have been vastly totally different.
Whereas Mr Moon was hotter in the direction of North Korea, with the final word view of pleasant unification, Mr Yoon quickly proved hostile – deciding as an alternative to strengthen ties with the USA and Japan.
Joint navy workouts with each international locations have been stepped up – and the president went on a attraction offensive with their leaders.
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Joe and Jill Biden host his South Korean counterpart and his spouse on the White Home in April 2023. Pic: Reuters
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Singing American Pie with Joe Biden throughout a White Home state dinner in 2023. Pic: Reuters
Throughout a state go to to the US in 2023, Mr Yoon astounded visitors by serenading then-president Joe Biden with the track American Pie.
A number of months in the past, his workplace mentioned he had taken up golf classes once more for the primary time in eight years in anticipation of Donald Trump returning to workplace and in gentle of his love of the game.
He was the primary South Korean chief to attend a NATO assembly when he visited leaders in Madrid in 2022 and has supplied vital navy and monetary assist to Ukraine.
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With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv in July 2023. Pic: Reuters
Struggled to cross laws
Domestically, nevertheless, he shortly proved unpopular.
With a parliament dominated by the opposition Democratic Occasion, he has struggled to cross laws, with solely 29% of his payments till January going via.
He has as an alternative relied on the usage of the presidential veto, which he has employed greater than any of his predecessors for the reason that finish of navy rule in 1987.
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Protests in opposition to Yoon Suk Yeol’s management in Seoul in August final yr. Pic: Reuters
Initially, he battled to get his cupboard ministers in publish – with 4 withdrawing from the method over the parliamentary backlash.
He additionally needed to switch his workplace – from the well-known Blue Home palace in central Seoul to a defence ministry constructing elsewhere – however the plans sparked controversy over their big price.
His unpopularity was mirrored in April’s parliamentary elections – which noticed the opposition social gathering re-take the bulk.
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Yoon Suk Yeol and his spouse Kim Kun Hee in Madrid in 2022. Pic: Reuters
Spouse embroiled in a number of scandals
Past his insurance policies, Mr Yoon has confronted a number of scandals.
Many have concerned his spouse, Kim Keon Hee, who opted for the title ‘First Partner’ as an alternative of ‘First Woman’.
Mr Yoon apologised on her behalf and mentioned she ought to have performed herself higher. Just lately he apologised on nationwide TV and declared he was establishing an workplace to supervise her duties.
Ms Kim can also be accused of being concerned in inventory value manipulation earlier than her husband was elected.
Collectively, the couple have confronted requires an investigation into an alleged inappropriate relationship between them and a polling firm, which they’ve vehemently denied.
This yr Mr Yoon vetoed a invoice calling for a particular prosecutor investigation into the loss of life of a South Korean marine in 2023, which led to suspicions of a cover-up.
Introducing martial regulation
In his most controversial transfer, Mr Yoon launched martial regulation on 3 December 2024, giving the navy commander limitless authority to make and implement legal guidelines.
Mr Yoon informed the nation that martial regulation was wanted to defend the nation from nuclear-armed North Korea and pro-North anti-state forces, and to guard its free constitutional order, though he cited no particular threats.
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South Korean protesters in Seoul after martial regulation declaration
The transfer got here after two years of Mr Yoon struggling to push his agenda via in an opposition-controlled parliament.
His conservative Individuals Energy Occasion has been in a impasse with the liberal Democratic Occasion over the upcoming finances invoice, and he had additionally dismissed requires impartial investigations into scandals involving his spouse and high officers, drawing criticism from his political rivals.
Opposition chief Lee Jae-myung mentioned the declaration of martial regulation was “unconstitutional” and referred to as for the general public to protest outdoors parliament in South Korean capital, Seoul, and even some members of the president’s personal social gathering spoke out in opposition to him.
Mr Yoon had ordered in his declaration that every one political social gathering and parliamentary actions stop, however MPs nonetheless headed to parliament to vote on the martial regulation ruling.
As clashes continued outdoors, MPs voted to dam the declaration.
President refused to be detained
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Police attempt to detain president Yoon
An arrest warrant was issued for Mr Yoon on 31 December, as a joint investigation involving police and navy authorities started his energy seize to see whether or not it amounted to an tried rise up.
However Mr Yoon’s presidential safety service prevented dozens of investigators from arresting him after a standoff lasted practically six hours on 3 January.
The nation’s anti-corruption company mentioned it withdrew its investigators after they have been blocked from getting into Mr Yoon’s official residence on account of considerations in regards to the security of its members.
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How the arrest occurred
The company expressed “serious regret about the attitude of the suspect, who did not respond to a process by law”.
He was lastly arrested 12 days later, when police returned with 3,200 officers to detain him.
A motorcade of black SUVs was seen leaving the gates of his hillside residence, the place he had been holed up for weeks behind barbed wire and a small military of non-public safety.
Mr Yoon mentioned the “rule of law has completely collapsed” in a video message recorded earlier than he was escorted to the headquarters of an anti-corruption company.
He mentioned he was complying with the detention warrant to stop clashes between police and the presidential safety service.
