South Korean democracy survives as President's power grab falls apart
South Korean President Yoon tried to impose martial law but faced immediate rejection from parliament and public protests. His failed self-coup attempt now leads to likely impeachment process
In a shocking turn-of-events‚ Yoon Suk-yeolʼs attempt to take control of South Korea through martial-law ended in complete failure. The presidentʼs Tuesday declaration met swift opposition from both parliament and citizens
The National Assembly (where Yoonʼs People Power Party lost big in last springs elections) didnt hesitate to counter his move: they gathered despite army presence and voted to cancel martial-law. Lee Jae-myung‚ the Democratic Party leader called for immediate public response which led to mass-protests
The crisis roots go deep into Yoonʼs troubled presidency; his approval numbers dropped below 20% in recent months due to various mis-steps and scandals. The budget fight with parliament became his breaking point: he called opposition “pro-North anti-state forces“ (which shows his cold-war style thinking)
Even Yoonʼs own party turned against him - including Han Dong-hoon‚ once his close ally. The army chief Park An-soo tried to block political activity and control media but both refused to comply. The memory of 1980s martial-law violence in Gwangju made troops unwilling to confront protesters
The US response stayed neutral; despite Yoonʼs efforts to build ties with president-elect Trump‚ the current administration avoided taking sides. His failed power-grab will affect US plans for better Japan-SK relations: something he worked hard on but lost support at home
