The south-korean government struggles with fall-out from Yoon Suk Yeolʼs short-lived martial law declaration which lasted just six hours; markets reacted with sharp drops while international partners stepped back
The kospi index fell 2.8% on mon-12-09‚ and the won dropped nearly 1% against USD (showing market un-certainty about leadership stability). The smaller kosdaq market experienced its worst day since last summer with a 5% decline
Multiple high-level diplomatic meetings got cancelled due to the crisis: swedens prime minister skipped his planned visit‚ a kyrgyz leader didnt check military facilities‚ and US defense chief Lloyd Austin changed his travel plans. “We must be steadfast in rebuilding trust with our partners“ Cho Tae-yul the foreign minister stated – his words highlighting the governments current predicament
The opposition party led by Lee Jae-myung pushes for immediate action: their first try at impeachment didnt work but they promise more attempts. Even Yoons own party looks for ways to make him step down; this creates a power gap right when the country needs strong leadership
The crisis affects many areas:
- Military readiness versus North Korea
- Trade discussions with global partners
- Government budget approvals
- Arms export deals with other nations
- Preparations for new US administration
Former trade expert Yeo Han-koo points out a big problem: “The uncertainty is a huge distraction“ – especially with trumpʼs upcoming presidency that might affect koreaʼs export-based economy. The justice ministry made things worse by stopping Yoon from international travel which blocks him from important summit meetings
The budget situation looks tough too; parliament cut 4.1 trillion won from the governments spending plan which creates more problems. If they dont approve a new budget by years end theyll have to use last years numbers – making it hard to deal with current economic needs