The 1,060 days of impeached South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol

On the 4th of this month, the Constitutional Court of South Korea decided to impeach former president Yoon Seok-yeol. The last time a South Korean president was impeached was in 2017, when former president Park Geun-hye was impeached.
On the 4th, Yoon released a message to the public through his legal team, saying, "I am disappointed and sorry that I was unable to meet your expectations. It has been a great honor to have had the opportunity to work for Korea.
"I would like to take a look back at Yoon's journey as president, who will be unable to complete his five-year term and step down 1,060 days after taking office on May 10, 2022.
After serving as the Prosecutor General, Yoon ran for president in the March 2022 election as a member of the People Power Party, then the largest conservative opposition party. He narrowly defeated Lee Jae Myung (currently the party's leader) of the progressive Democratic Party of Korea.
In his speech after winning the election, Yoon said he viewed his election as "a stern command to create a new country of hope," and
"I will move forward with my eyes only on the people," he vowed. At the time, Yoon had the biggest weakness of having no political experience, and the People's Power Party, to which he belonged, had less than half of the seats in the National Assembly, making it a minority ruling party.
There were concerns about whether he would be able to steer the government in such a difficult situation. The first thing Yoon did was to open up the Blue House, which had been the presidential office until the previous administration.
Yoon, who criticized the "closed-door politics" of the previous administration of President Moon Jae-in, declared that he would "give back to the people" in order to close the gap between himself and the people. The museum was opened to the public to coincide with Yoon's presidential inauguration.
At the time, some people praised it as a major turning point in modern Korean history, as it brought an end to the authoritarian "Cheong Wa Dae era" that had continued since the establishment of the government in 1948.
During his term, Yoon also worked to improve Japan-Korea relations. The biggest issue between the two countries, the former forced labor lawsuit issue, had remained unresolved, but since taking office,
Shortly after, the South Korean government stepped up efforts to resolve the issue, including launching a joint public-private council to explore solutions. In March 2023, the South Korean government announced a "solution" to the problem.
This led to a dramatic improvement in Japan-Korea relations, and the "shuttle diplomacy" in which the leaders of Japan and Korea visit each other was revived. Now, exchanges are active not only in the political world, but also in the economy and between the private sectors.
Yoon also deepened cooperation not only with Japan but also with the United States. At the 2011 US-ROK summit, a joint declaration was issued on strengthening "extended deterrence," in which the United States provides deterrence, including nuclear forces.
He made dozens of overseas visits over the course of three years, and became the country's "number one salesman" by promoting diplomatic sales. However, he took a hard-line stance toward North Korea. In response, North Korea began to view South Korea as its "number one enemy."
In domestic affairs, as was feared at the time of his inauguration, the opposition Democratic Party of Korea holds a majority in the National Assembly, while the ruling People Power Party is a minority party.
In the general election held in April last year, the People Power Party aimed to break away from being a minority ruling party, but suffered a major defeat. This gave further momentum to the opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea. Furthermore, his wife,
Her approval rating has fallen due to various suspicions surrounding Kim GunHee. In February 2012, the medical community rebelled against her plan to increase the number of students admitted to university medical schools. Residents left the profession en masse.
The medical field was thrown into chaos. With the opposition party continuing to take control of the National Assembly, Yoon declared "emergency martial law" in December last year, citing the opposition party's refusal to agree to the budget bill.
Standing martial law is a type of martial law defined by the Korean Constitution. It is issued by the president in times of war, war, or other emergency situations, when it is necessary for military purposes, or to maintain public order. Emergency martial law is lifted early.
However, the move caused turmoil in Korean society and instability in domestic politics. Opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, said Yoon had "attempted to suspend the constitutional order and commit a civil war in an attempt to seize permanent power."
The government submitted a motion to impeach Yoon to the National Assembly, pointing out that the bill violated the constitution by stipulating that the president must be impeached under the Constitution. In a vote last December, the bill was passed with 204 votes in favor and 85 against. Yoon was subsequently suspended from his duties.
Following the passage of the bill, the Constitutional Court will decide within six months whether to impeach or reinstate Yoon, and on the 4th of this month, the Constitutional Court handed down its decision that Yoon's impeachment was appropriate.
Yoon lost his job. On the 6th, Yoon sent a message to the "People's Lawyers Group," an organization made up of his supporters, saying, "I have stepped down from my position as president, but I will always stand by your side."
This is the second time Yoon has issued a message since his impeachment, following the one he sent to the public on the 4th. Yoon, who left office midway through his term, was given the three secretaries that are usually given to those who retire after completing a five-year term.
He will not be able to receive various benefits, such as a personal driver and a pension equivalent to 95% of his salary while in office, and he will not be able to be buried in the Seoul National Cemetery, where past presidents rest.
He also lost his status as president. However, security and guard duties will be maintained for the next five years. The South Korean media Herald Business said that Yoon "has returned to being a 'natural person, Yoon Seok-yeol,'" and added, "After a long period of low support,
"Amid repeated issues such as voter turnout and conflicts with the large opposition party, he eventually retreated from the historical stage with the declaration of emergency martial law on December 3rd."