Wife's Corruption Suspected and Lawbreaking: What Was the Purpose of Martial Law in South Korea

Suspicion of corruption of the wife and violation of the law: what was the purpose of martial law in South Korea Natalia Belzetskaya

On December 3, South Korea declared a “state of emergency” which provoked unrest in the country. Several hours earlier, parliament declared the president's decision invalid and canceled it.

Korea expert Leonid Petrov told Channel 24 that Yun Sok-yol explained his decision by allegedly protecting himself from North Korean agents. In this way, he wanted to gain support not only from the population, but also from his fellow party members.

What really happened in South Korea

President Yun Sok-yol miscalculated, because he never received the desired support. By declaring martial law, he made an attempt to hold on to power, because he has serious problems with this.

In the spring of 2024, elections were held in the country, in which Yun Seok-yul's party did not receive a majority. Leadership in parliament passed to the opposition, which demanded completely different decisions. Yun Seok-yul himself was never a particularly popular politician. He came to power in 2022 with a minimal advantage, and before that he worked as the prosecutor general

Yun Seok-yul has a fear of losing power and was very afraid that his associates would be removed from their positions. Therefore, his instinct for self-preservation kicked in and he found nothing better than martial law, – noted Leonid Petrov.

Currently, the current president does not have the trust of the population. Few people support him because he broke the law under the guise of fighting North Korea.

Corruption scandals in the family of Yun Seok-yul

Since the beginning of his tenure, Yun Seok-yul and his wife have been embroiled in a number of scandals. The press and opposition representatives found out that the first lady accepted valuable gifts. For example, it is known about a handbag that cost several thousand dollars.

In South Korea, it is forbidden to accept such gifts. Such actions compromise any politician, they are not approved by society. Moreover, there were suggestions that the president could also be involved.

In addition, his friends, in particular military personnel and diplomats, were involved in corrupt deals. Instead of resigning, Yun Seok-yul gave them promotions or sent them abroad, the Korea expert added.

Recall that the introduction of martial law was announced on December 3. The South Korean president announced the anti-state activities of the opposition and promised to “eradicate pro-North Korean forces”.

After this decision, protests broke out in the country, and opposition parties demanded the impeachment of the president. Amid the crisis, the defense minister, chief of staff, and other high-ranking officials resigned. Martial law was lifted on the evening of December 3.