Desperate bid for power and a dangerous threat to ROK's democracy

A 'small group' let down Yoon and ROK

The last time the Republic of Korea implemented martial law was in the early 1980s. Over the past 40 years, the country's democratic system seems to have become mature and, even, irreversible. Then how did President Yoon Suk-yeol indulge in something that is nothing less than a political joke?

First, Yoon has very little political experience. The ROK is known for its extremely serious political confrontations, particularly between its progressive and conservative parties. Yoon was elected in 2022 with just a 0.73 percent majority, which makes him a weak president. Yoon, as chief prosecutor in 2021, had clashed with then ROK president Moon Jae-in, from the now-opposition Democratic Party of Korea, before stepping down and joining the People Power Party to defeat Lee Jae-myung and become president. The martial law gaffe will surely give the Democratic Party of Korea strong ammunition to hit back.

A qualified politician should be flexible. However, Yoon was a novice with less than a year of political experience before he became president. His inexperience makes him unable to cope with such a complicated challenge. His use of prosecutorial powers to suppress opposition parties led to intensified conflicts between the two sides. He was facing many domestic challenges while his popularity rating remained around 20 percent for months. He chose to take the extreme measure in order to find a way out.

Second, his prosecutorial background gave him his arbitrary decision-making style. For a long time, there has been a saying in Korean society that "the power of the regime is limited, but the power of the prosecutorial organs is unlimited", and "the most powerful group in Korean society is the prosecutors". The power prosecutors wield cultivates in them their tough working style, which might be helpful when handling complex and difficult cases, but is not among the qualities politicians — who are known to arrive at consensus and compromise — are known for.

Third, Yoon's reliance on a small circle of trusted colleagues has raised concerns about the diversity of thought within his administration. This approach can lead to closed decision-making, which often lacks the necessary breadth of perspectives required for effective governance. Such homogeneity can result in significant policy missteps, and the consequences of this governance style have been highlighted by critics who argue that it undermines democratic processes and leads to ineffective policy outcomes. The closed nature of decision-making can stifle innovation and responsiveness to public needs, which are critical in a rapidly changing political landscape.

Liu Litao is an associate professor at the School of International Studies, Nanjing University.

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