These days, those of us old enough to remember our history might be forgiven for having a terrible feeling of deja vu. The last time martial law terrified the South Korean people was in 1980, when General Chun Doo-hwan seized power through Korea’s second military coup and crushed the resisting people ruthlessly. Those of us who are over 50 now vividly remember those nightmare days when curfew was imposed, people were arrested without warrant and military tanks and armored vehicles were loudly rolling down the streets.

Forty-four years have passed and South Korea is no longer under a military dictatorship. Instead, Korea has become an advanced country of liberal democracy, economic prosperity and cultural attractions. That was why many older Koreans were appalled and stunned when President Yoon Suk Yeol unexpectedly declared martial law on Dec. 3.

Yoon claimed that he imposed emergency martial law in order to “eliminate anti-state elements, to protect the freedoms and safety of the people, and pass on a stable nation to future generations.” He also argued that martial law was necessary to maintain constitutional law and order, and to stop the opposition party’s sabotage of the government’s bills, policies and budgets.

However, the foreign press has pointed out that Yoon’s surprise declaration of martial law, perhaps unwittingly, ended up being a grave threat to South Korea’s democracy and freedom, and enacted a heavy, if not fatal, blow to its rising fame as the home of the Korean Wave. Furthermore, they reported that imposing martial law could be unconstitutional and might result in passing on an unstable nation to future generations.

For example, under the title, “K-pop and autocrats: jolt to democracy lays bare South Korea’s two sides,” The Guardian discusses how severely the recent martial law has damaged the image of the kingdom of Hallyu. Importantly, it also stated that the reverse of martial law showed the resilience of Korean democracy to the world.

According to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the timing of Yoon’s declaration of martial law was not good at all. It writes, “Yoon should never have chosen to announce martial law, but he did so at the most precarious moment of his presidency and amid mounting external challenges.” As a result, the Korean people are now witnessing “a rapid erosion in Yoon’s remaining authority and influence as president” amid “massive political struggles and realignments within the ruling and opposition parties.”

As for South Korea’s external crises, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace predicted “significant external ramifications of a weakened South Korean government. Just as Donald Trump prepares to re-enter the White House in January 2025, North Korea’s nuclear threats worsen, more North Korean soldiers join the fight alongside Russia in the Ukraine war, and the potential for worsening US-China trade wars that will have critical ramifications for the South Korean economy.”

CNN and BBC, too, have supported, not Yoon, but the demonstrators who demand his early step-down because they think the demonstrators are fighting for democracy. We all knew that Yoon had compelling reasons for declaring emergency martial law. Still, the foreign press pointed out that it was a mistake and a hasty decision, calling it a “martial law fiasco.”

At the same time, however, we cannot blame Yoon alone. We all know that the opposition party, too, is responsible for the unfortunate incident. Therefore, the opposition Democratic Party of Korea should reflect on its past wrongdoings that have paralyzed the government by controlling the National Assembly. Indeed, our political milieu must change now.

Yoon’s declarations of martial law surprised the whole world. Fortunately, President Yoon reversed his hasty decision and everything is returning to normal now. Presently, the international community is closely watching South Korea’s future path. In order to recover from our psychic wounds and show the world our strengths, we should not use this unfortunate incident for political gain.

Martial law was possible four or five decades ago, but it is no longer valid in the 21st century, especially in an advanced country such as South Korea. We are now living in an era of smartphones and social media. Those who are living in an advanced country with cutting-edge technology will no longer tolerate such tyrannical measures.

The Korean people do not want their political leaders to be possessed by the specters of the past. Instead, they want their politicians to foresee the future and prepare for the worst-case scenario in upcoming global crises. That is why the UK newspaper The Guardian recently wrote that Korea’s ruling party faces “a stark choice: embrace the will of the people or retreat into South Korea’s dark past.”

In a NATO press conference, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said that he welcomed President Yoon’s withdrawal of martial law. Then, he added that in the last few decades, “Korea's been an extraordinary story, an extraordinary success story.” We strongly hope that South Korea’s “extraordinary success story” continues.

Kim Seong-kon

Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul National University and a visiting scholar at Dartmouth College. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. -- Ed.