The coming day will observe former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol learn his fate regarding his actions on December 3, 2024, when he invoked martial law.
That day brought South Korea to the brink of authoritarian rule. Simultaneously, the events demonstrated the strength of South Korea’s democracy, according to experts.
What Happened on December 3rd and 4th, 2024?
The attempted power grab lasted only six hours. At 11:00 PM, President Yoon announced the imposition of martial law. “Civil and other freedoms were suspended,” says Remco Breuker, Professor of Korean Studies. “The military would accept power under his leadership, due to the fact that the country was in acute danger.”
Military personnel moved to prevent members of parliament from reaching the National Assembly. “Because the South Korean constitution states that the National Assembly can dissolve a state of emergency,” explains Flora Smit, a Korea researcher. “That became a huge chaos.”
However, enough parliamentarians managed to enter the building, including through windows, to vote to lift martial law. Smit: “The military didn’t quite know what was expected of them. Footage shows they were hesitant.”
Meanwhile, the population took to the streets en masse. The vast majority did not support Yoon’s action. “The ordinary people seemed better trained than the soldiers,” says Kim Shin-wan, who made a documentary about the events. “It was very impressive.”
After several hours, Yoon succumbed to the pressure and approved a resolution to lift the state of emergency.
Why Did Yoon Believe a Power Grab Was Necessary?
Yoon claimed the opposition, which held the majority in parliament, sympathized with North Korea. Breuker: “Yoon thought North Korea was about to invade South Korea, or to overthrow the democracy from within.”
However, there was likely no increased threat. Yoon may have been trying to provoke a North Korean reaction, “so there would be a reason to have a coup and offer the military a lot of power,” says Smit. “Yoon’s bills were always voted down by the opposition in parliament. He wanted to lift that blockade and seize power.”
What Punishment Awaits Him?
The power grab itself lasted a few hours, but the preparation took months. According to prosecutors, Yoon, several cabinet members, and the military leadership had been working on the plan for some time.
More than a week after the failed power grab, Yoon was removed from office. His arrest was delayed. Breuker: “The presidential guard continued to protect him.”
The death penalty has been sought against Yoon. “Treason and planning rebellion: there is a real chance he will receive the death penalty,” says Breuker. Other options are life imprisonment, or life imprisonment with hard labor.
Yoon maintains he has no regrets. He says he was only fulfilling his duty: whereas the opposition blocked every government decision, he tried to govern the country.
Smit also thinks Yoon will receive the death penalty. “I think South Korea wants to show: we do not approve of this kind of action.” Earlier, former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo received a 23-year prison sentence for his role in the power grab, eight years more than the prosecutor demanded.
However, the chances that the death penalty will actually be carried out on Yoon are small. South Korea has not carried out a death penalty since 1997. The country is also sensitive to Western criticism of this form of punishment, says Smit.
Breuker: “He will be in death row until his sentence is commuted to a prison sentence. That is probably life imprisonment, and then he will eventually be granted clemency by the incumbent president, I expect.”
How Exceptional Were These Events?
It would be the first time in South Korea that a democratically elected president has been convicted of rebellion. But it was not the first time South Koreans have taken action to protect their democracy.
“Many Koreans thought back to 1979 and 1980, when pro-democracy protests were bloodily suppressed,” says Breuker. Hundreds to possibly 2,000 people died in the ‘Gwangju Massacre’. Only at the end of the 1980s was the South Korean dictatorship transformed into a democracy.
In his film, Kim draws a comparison between Gwangju and Yoon’s power grab in 2024. “Koreans who took to the streets said: we don’t want another Gwangju. The dictatorship and this massacre are part of the collective memory.”
Partly because of that history, South Korea’s democracy is now very strong, says Smit. “The fear of an authoritarian regime and the gratitude for democracy are still very great. Koreans will fight tooth and nail to preserve it.”
Breuker agrees. “Koreans listen to legitimate authority, but the moment an authority oversteps its bounds, the whole country bristles.”
