With the Dec. 3 martial law decree nullified in just six hours, South Koreans dodged a bullet, possibly quite literally. Criminal investigations into President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration have uncovered plans and details suggesting the situation could have unfolded very differently had the National Assembly failed to stop the president. What if the attempt had succeeded? What would South Korea look like under Yoon’s martial law? Here is a scenario based on the martial law

Politics Dec. 11, 2024

Students at President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee's former schools have jointed in the nationwide condemnation of what is being seen as the president's act of insurgence via declaration of martial law on Dec. 3. The student council of Chungam High School said in an official statement that the government declaring martial law was a wrongful action that plunged the nation into chaos. Yoon, commander of the Defense Counterintelligence Command Yeo In-hyung, then-Defense Ministe

Social Affairs Dec. 11, 2024

A fishing boat in a recent maritime accident that left seven dead and one missing appears to have sunk into deep sea, the Coast Guard said Wednesday, after a rope that connected it to a tugboat snapped the previous day. According to the Coast Guard, the 29-ton boat was being pulled by a 190-ton tug vessel when the rope snapped at around 7:06 p.m. Tuesday. Officials searched for the lost vessel for three hours to no avail, and now believe that the boat may have sunk to about 1,000 meters below th

Social Affairs Dec. 11, 2024

An elderly woman recently donated 3 million won ($2,000) to the local government of Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, on the condition of anonymity, saying she earned the money while working as a farmer. The mystery woman, who appeared to be in her late 70s or early 80s, entered Chungju City Hall at around 2 p.m. on Dec. 6. She said she wanted to donate money, handing officials a white envelope containing 3 million won in cash. "I want to make a donation, thinking about all the help I&

Social Affairs Dec. 11, 2024

The family of a 67-year-old woman, who dedicated much of her life to volunteer work, respected her wishes by donating her organs and tissues to those in medical need after her death, the state-run organ donation agency said Tuesday. Jang Song-gu died on Nov. 6 after falling critically ill five days earlier, according to the Korea Organ Donation Agency. Shortly after she passed away at the Keimyung University Donsan Medical Center, her liver, right kidney, right eye and left eye were donated to f

People Dec. 10, 2024

A teacher at a second grade class of an elementary school in Gangwon Province conducted a reenactment of the recent political turmoil to teach children about the law. The mock classroom martial law decree denied misbehaving and disobeying students freedom of speech and outdoor play during lunch break. It ended when students eventually turned the tables, denying teacher the authority to impose such rules. According to Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday, the educational experiment took place on Dec. 4,

Social Affairs Dec. 10, 2024

Cho Kuk, the leader of the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party, is set to be sentenced by the Supreme Court on Thursday on allegations including fabrication of official documents and interfering in a state audit of a high-ranking Busan city official. If the two-year prison term handed to the 59-year-old by the lower courts is upheld, he will immediately lose his seat at the National Assembly along with his eligibility to run for public office. The Supreme Court’s sentencing will take

Social Affairs Dec. 10, 2024

With President Yoon Suk Yeol seemingly edging toward impeachment, the nation is eyeing the next logical move of electing his replacement. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, is the clear front-runner in that race, multiple polls suggest. But the runner-up in the last presidential election by a tiny margin, Lee has his own legal challenges regarding another bid for the top office. He still faces criminal charges related to his respective terms as mayor of Seo

Politics Dec. 10, 2024

The idea of a sitting president being arrested, once deemed unthinkable, now looms as a real possibility in South Korea. President Yoon Suk Yeol, who narrowly avoided impeachment Saturday, faces investigations from three of the nation’s major investigative agencies amid massive political backlash over his declaration of martial law last week. On Monday afternoon, the Ministry of Justice imposed a travel ban on President Yoon, making him the first sitting president in South Korean history t

Politics Dec. 9, 2024

A South Korean man who falsely claimed to have depression to avoid combat duty in military has been sentenced to one year in jail, suspended for two years, the Daegu District Court said Sunday. The 26-year-old defendant, based on false claims he made to medical staff, was diagnosed with depression last year at a Daegu-based university hospital. He then submitted his diagnosis to the Military Manpower Administration and received grade 4 in his physical examination, which made him eligible to serv

Social Affairs Dec. 9, 2024

Over 60,000 South Koreans as of Monday have signed an online petition calling for a ban on the commemoration of convicted politicians by government bodies, demanding former military dictator Chun Doo-hwan's penname to be removed from a public park. The petition, posted on the National Assembly's petition page on Nov. 15, requested the parliament to revise the law to ensure that names of those found guilty of violating the law or the Constitution from being on any type of commemorative

Social Affairs Dec. 9, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol avoided impeachment Saturday, as his conservative ruling party staged a united boycott against the opposition-led parliamentary vote, defying public demands to hold him responsible for last week’s surprise declaration of martial law. Records show that Yoon, his Cabinet, and several members of his party have apparently flip-flopped their positions on martial law -- at least in the public address -- from before the fateful night of Dec. 3. Accusations of the preside

Politics Dec. 9, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday narrowly survived impeachment as his ruling People Power Party, united in the National Assembly to thwart the opposition's effort to oust him from office. This offers Yoon only momentary relief, however, as the opposition parties threaten to push for his impeachment again over his declaration of martial law earlier this week. The short-lived martial law decree, along with an array of controversies, including legal risks related to his spouse, have alr

Social Affairs Dec. 7, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol's first national address after the martial law declaration on Saturday morning looks to have improved his chances of surviving an opposition-led impeachment vote later in the day. In a televised address at 10 a.m., Yoon apologized vowing to never give such orders again. He also said he would entrust his powers to his party to "stabilize the political situation." It came as he faces a critical juncture on his fate, with a vote on his impeachment at the Nat

Social Affairs Dec. 7, 2024

The presidential office confirmed Friday afternoon that President Yoon Suk Yeol did not have plans to visit the National Assembly, but the rumors about him visiting the legislature had caused a commotion among the opposition lawmakers gathered there. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik held an emergency press conference and said that he had not been told of Yoon's visit that was rumored to be at around 3 p.m., and asked him to "postpone the visit, if he does intend to do so."

Politics Dec. 6, 2024