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T
he unanimous decision of South Korea’s Constitutional Court upholding the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol on April 4 was a watershed moment in the country’s political history. It is widely credited to the people’s resolute will to preserve democracy through peaceful protests in Gwanghwamun Square – a public space in Seoul that holds historical significance for the country – and across cities.
The unanimous verdict read by Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae gave a detailed account of the circumstances leading to the high court’s decision:
“The defendant declared martial law in violation of the Constitution and the law, thereby reenacting the dark history of the abuse of national emergency powers, shocking the public and causing chaos in all areas of society, the economy, politics and diplomacy.”
This unconstitutional move violated the president’s mandate:
“As the president of all citizens, the defendant has a duty to unite society as a community beyond his support base. He failed to fulfill that duty,” said the ruling. The Court specifically denounced the mobilization of the military to suppress political opposition.
The National Assembly’s prompt move to impeach the president and the Constitutional Court’s thoughtful deliberation were a paean to South Korean people’s democratic resilience, forged through their collective struggle in the past to reclaim democracy.
Democracy under attack
On Dec. 3, 2024, when Yoon declared martial law, the people of South Korea were threatened with violence and stripped of their freedoms. Yoon’s move shocked not only South Korea but also the international community, which saw the country as a vibrant democracy in Asia.
South Koreans were enraged. The newly declared martial law brought back memories of a bitter past, when the country was under military rule, decades ago, and countless citizens fought – nay, sacrificed their lives – to restore democracy.
Despite winning the presidential election in March 2022 by a narrow margin of 0.73% over Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of South Korea, Yoon ignored democratic procedures, refused to compromise with the National Assembly, and continued to rule unilaterally, abusing the prosecution’s power.
In recent years, South Korean society has suffered greatly due to political division or intense factional conflicts. When Yoon came to power after winning the presidential election, he had the opportunity to bring about unity and healing to a polarized nation through appropriate policies.
But Yoon did the opposite. Regressive policies and allegations of corruption under his watch deepened public distrust in the government.
Over the nearly three years that he was in office, the economy stagnated, poverty deepened, and peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula were pushed to the edge of a cliff. Instead of giving priority to public welfare, Yoon seemed singularly focused on tax cut policies beneficial to the rich and incessantly called for “eliminating the left” or the left-leaning opposition.
In contrast, previous administrations, progressive or conservative alike, expanded social welfare and focused on R&D investments to fuel economic growth.
To South Koreans, Yoon’s misguided priorities and focus could not be more evident when he declared martial law, citing the need “to eradicate the pro-North Korea anti-state forces all at once.”
In the end, Yoon trampled on the democratic constitutional order by illegally declaring martial law, since the conditions imposed by the Constitution were not met.
His widely perceived shameless and irresponsible actions not only undermined the rule of law and democratic norms, but also deepened divisions within society.
From martial law to dismissal
On Dec. 3, 2024, the nightmare that was martial law – bitter memories of which had haunted South Korea for 45 years since the Gwangju Uprising (otherwise known as the May 18 Democratization Movement against military rule) – resurfaced and revealed the dire challenge to democracy confronting the country.
The short-lived martial law set into motion by Yoon cast a shadow on the country’s global democratic standing.
According to the Democracy Index 2024 published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in February 2025, South Korea’s level of democracy fell 10 places from the previous year to 32nd place. As a result, South Korea’s quality of democracy shifted from a ‘perfect democracy’ to a ‘flawed democracy’.
The EIU assessed South Korea’s decline in the democracy index as follows: Its overall score is 7.75 out of 10, the lowest since the index began to be compiled in 2006. This shows the regression of South Korean democracy.
To many, including international media outlets, the spontaneous response of the public to Yoon’s action – with an estimated two million people coming together in protest to prevent a full military takeover, alongside the National Assembly’s swift decision to lift martial law – was a resounding rejection by a nation traumatized by its authoritarian past.
The New York Times emphasized that democracy is not just given to Koreans, but gained through decades of struggle “at the cost of torture, imprisonment, and bloodshed.”
“All the major political milestones in South Korea — an end to dictatorship, the introduction of free elections, the ouster of abusive leaders — were achieved after citizens took to the streets.”
Painful but necessary
Yoon was not the first president to be successfully impeached in South Korea.
Eight years ago, in 2016, following months of political unrest over widespread allegations of influence peddling, President Park Geun-hye was impeached by the National Assembly – a decision upheld by the Constitutional Court a few months later, in 2017.
Fast forward to 2024. The same Constitutional Court made a strict judgment on the mobilization of the military to suppress political opposition. The condemnation of the successful military coup that stained South Korea’s political history in the past was a posthumous judgment, rendered much later.
Amid the Court’s deliberations leading to its final verdict, the sight of protesters spending the night in heavy snow in front of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, demanding the “arrest of Yoon Seok-yeol,” proved symbolic.
As the people awaited the Court’s decision, concerns and anger soared. But they trusted in the existing system until the end, allowing the rule of law to take its course.
The process may have been painful and deeply unsettling, polarizing even, but there was no skirting it if democracy was to be preserved. In the end, the Constitutional Court acknowledged the people’s role in the National Assembly’s prompt action when it ruled to impeach President Yoon.
“The National Assembly was able to quickly pass a resolution demanding the lifting of martial law thanks to the resistance of citizens and the passive performance of their duties by the military and police.”
The impeachment of Yoon was therefore a triumph of the people, who protected the constitutional order. It was a triumph of democracy.
The constitutional spirit of the April 19 Revolution in 1960, which continued through the Busan-Masan Uprising in October 1979, the Gwangju Uprising in May 1980, and the June Struggle in 1987, was demonstrated once again when the Constitutional Court upheld Yoon’s impeachment, thus restoring the country’s global standing as a democracy.
Such triumph should inspire other countries experiencing democratic regression.
Forefront of democracy
Since the democratization of Eastern Europe in the 1990s, waves of pro-democracy protests have been witnessed across the world.
Ukraine’s Orange Revolution, the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, and the Arab Spring that spread across the Middle East and North Africa bore witness to this irreversible trend.
In South Korea the people have always been active participants in protecting democracy. The June Struggle of 1987 – marked by nationwide protests – ended the military dictatorship and led to constitutional reforms. Thirty years later, in 2017, the first peaceful transfer of power in constitutional history unfolded. This was preceded by months of peaceful protests against then President President Park Geun-hye, who was mired in political scandal.
Then came Dec. 3. 2024. South Korea found itself engulfed in another major political upheaval as martial rule once again reared its ugly head. Just four months later, the people witnessed yet another peaceful transition from a short-lived martial law that imperiled their hard-won democracy, as the constitutional process was completed and effectively removed Yoon from power.
It is not easy to find cases in Asia or elsewhere, South America, where democracy collapsed and was completely restored peacefully without any bloodshed. South Korea stands out in this regard. Having suffered a long period of military dictatorship, its citizens bristle at the slightest sign of abuse of power, or when the country teeters on the brink of authoritarian rule.
Time and again South Korea has shown its democratic resilience.
Democracy advocates and human rights defenders, alongside ordinary citizens, suffering oppression at the hands of dictators and undemocratic leaders around the world should find great courage and hope in South Korea’s shining example. ◉
