On 14 December 2024, Yoon Suk Yeol, the thirteenth president of South Korea, was impeached.
On the night of December 3, 2024, at approximately 10:30 pm, Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency Martial Law. He justified the decision to prevent threats from “North Korean communist forces” and “anti-state forces.” It was the first time Martial Law had been declared since the military dictatorship by the Chun Doo-hwan regime in the 1980s. However, many critics saw it as an overreaction, Yoon’s final straw to maintain control.
In response to Yoon’s ruthlessness, the National Assembly acted quickly. Almost immediately after Yoon declared Martial Law, politicians from all the parties gathered in the congress, unanimously passing a resolution to nullify the martial law, despite the police and military’s effort to block them from entering the building. During this period of chaos, civilians gathered in front of the National Assembly, holding candlelight vigils daily for Yoon’s impeachment, despite the cold weather.
Professor Yun Jeong-in, a member of the Legal Research Institute at Korea University, stated, “People are not panicking; they are fighting back. They see democracy as something that is rightfully theirs,” in an interview with the BBC. He emphasized the unity of the Korean citizens to remove the greater force for the country’s sake. On December 14, 2024, the National Assembly voted to impeach President Yoon for abusing his power and treason.
Yungi Lee (’25), a South Korean who saw the live broadcast of the tragic moment, stated, “I hope this incident encourages the people to make more careful and thoughtful decisions when electing a president in the future,” hoping the experience becomes a stepping stone for South Korea’s bright future.
