South Korean president's sudden power grab destroys years of diplomatic work

The political landscape in South-Korea changed dramatically when Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law in early Dec 2024‚ destroying his carefully-built international reputation

During his time as president Yoon got lots of praise from US policy-makers for his pro-Western stance and attempts to fix relations with Japan (which have been rough since WW2). His state visit to Washington last year even included a now-famous karaoke performance; however his domestic situation wasnt going well at all

The president faced huge problems at home — with opposition controlling 180 out of 300 seats in parliament‚ making it hard to pass any laws. His attempts to change medical system led to a doctors strike and his harsh words about political opponents made everything worse. Yoon kept using old-school anti-communist rhetoric calling them “pro-North forces“: this language might have worked in the 70s but today it doesnt connect with most voters

His approval ratings tell a clear story:

• Only 20% support in fall 2024
• Just half of his own party backed him
• After martial law - rating dropped to 13%
• 74% of people want him removed from office

The biggest hit came to his work on Korea-Japan relations — a key US priority in Asia. While Yoon tried to build new ties through meetings at Camp David and other high-level talks‚ his approach at home made him look like he was giving in to Japan too much. A poll from late-2023 showed Koreans split about working with Japan on security: 49% for and 44% against

His decision to make Korean government (not Japanese companies) pay for WW2 forced-labor claims really hurt his standing. Now‚ after the martial law shock all his diplomatic work will be seen as toxic by future leaders