In South Korea, Yoon’s ‘reckless’ martial law bid evokes its dark history
The president’s failed gamble, called an ‘international embarrassment’, reflects South Koreans’ determination to defend democracy
South Koreans, particularly older generations, are no strangers to the spectre of martial law.
Authoritarian regimes in the country’s past, such as Park Chung-hee’s Yushin dictatorship in the 1970s and Chun Doo-hwan’s brutal suppression of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, left lasting scars on the national psyche.
Those who had observed such coups noted that Yoon’s attempt unravelled rapidly due to poor planning and coordination among troops and police forces once he ordered martial law.
“Yoon has often been criticised for his impulsiveness, obstinance, and inability to heed advice,” Yeom Joo-young, a veteran journalist, told This Week in Asia.
“By staking his political future on this reckless gamble, he has failed miserably. He underestimated the resilience of the Korean people and their commitment to democracy.”
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South Korea lifts president’s martial law decree after lawmakers vote against it
