By Sundra Kim
On December 3rd, 2024, former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol illegally declared martial law; limiting the media, prohibiting political assembly, and establishing military control over the country. South Korea, one of the strongest democracies in Asia, was now amid civil unrest. This posed severe global implications; if Korean democracy did not survive, it could become the catalyst of democratic backsliding across the entire continent. The sudden imposition alarmed both Koreans and the international community, as the nation was known to be a stable democracy. The event was soon viewed as exposing Korea’s democratic fragility; however, this interpretation overlooks the Korean people’s rapid mobilization and determination to correct this injustice. Immediately following Yoon’s declaration, thousands of citizens across all generations showed up to protest outside the National Assembly. People held signs calling for Yoon’s impeachment as legislators confronted the blockade of the military surrounding the Assembly. News broadcasts presented legislators climbing the surrounding wall to enter the National Assembly and vote down Yoon’s order. The Korean people were organized and passionately fighting for their democracy with strength, courage, and dignity. Although the 2024 insurrection attempt and subsequent protests were described as political chaos and characterized as a sign of democratic fragility, the Korean people refuted this narrative by transforming their collective memory of oppression into an immediate and organized reclamation of their rights. In addition to preventing insurrection, they demonstrated democracy in action, highlighting the power everyday citizens have in holding their elected officials accountable and asserting their role as the anchor of South Korean democracy.
The Korean people were quick to disapprove of Yoon’s order, driven by a collective memory of the corruption, dictatorship, and oppression that marked their recent history. The country spent almost half of the twentieth century under occupation by Imperialist Japan, where Koreans lost sovereignty and their rights to free cultural expression. Following Japanese occupation, during the second half of the century, newly formed Korea faced multiple corrupt dictatorships and years under oppressive martial law. Many Koreans still hold memories of tanks in streets, severe censorship, and violent massacres of student protestors. Yoon’s declaration of martial law reignited the trauma from 20th century Korea and threatened to send the country back to a past filled with political oppression. Due to the lived and generational trauma held today, citizens collectively committed to not repeating history when former President Yoon declared martial law. Koreans fought hard to establish a successful democracy; consequently, their proximity to that struggle pushed them to demand Yoon’s impeachment with no hesitation.
On the surface, December 2024 reveals the strong division and tensions between the Korean people. The political polarization in Korea mirrors the extreme division in American politics. There were people who still expressed their support for Yoon. This could be argued as evidence for the lack of unification among the Korean people, as divisions between citizen’s political beliefs became more apparent globally as a result of this event. However, a democracy should not be monolithic or single minded. Regardless of political affiliation, people’s freedom to engage with and impact politics is fundamental to democracy. Although there were some groups who expressed support for Yoon, the majority of citizens and legislators were able to quickly mobilize to revoke martial law within hours. Irrespective of political affiliation, the Korean people’s passionate engagement with domestic politics reveals its thriving democracy.
Global broadcasts spotlit civilian protests and legislators decisively confronting military blockades to prevent insurrection. These events were often portrayed as revealing Korea’s vulnerable democracy; however, they actually reveal a strong commitment to democracy, and the effectiveness of the systems in place to protect it. The cooperation between a state’s legal system, government, and the public is fundamental to maintain democracy. At a time when democracy needs to be asserted, the interplay between these elements will appear chaotic and disorganized, however, this friction is a natural result of democracy prevailing in response to an extreme political event. The ultimate rejection of martial law driven by citizens and legislators is proof that Korean democracy is thriving.
Following his impeachment, removal from office, and arrest, the Constitutional Court gave former President Yoon a life sentence in February 2026 for attempting to lead an insurrection. This marked a historical victory for the Korean people. The court also convicted and sentenced five former officials who enforced Yoon’s martial law order, including ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who received a 30-year jail term. The successful prosecution of not only Yoon, but also his co-conspirators, demonstrates Korea’s robust ability to check power. The collective efforts of civilian protests, resolve of the legislature, and effectiveness of Constitutional law successfully served to reestablish Korea’s democracy and achieve justice.
December 2024 offers an alternate perspective on what political chaos can signal in regards to democracy. Due to its nature, political chaos is often dismissed as ineffectual disorder. However, had this event remained peaceful, Korea might not be a democracy today. The word “chaos” was used to describe organized civilians passionately and successfully protesting. Democracy is dependent on the interplay between multiple complex elements which can cause it to appear chaotic. As demonstrated by the media’s incomplete depiction of December 2024, civilian political expression can become dismissed as political chaos when it consists of organized and effective efforts.
Despite the various narratives surrounding December 2024, the South Korean people solidified their resolve to protect their hard-earned democracy by peacefully but passionately fighting for their democracy and becoming a global representation of civilians exercising democratic strength. The Korean people’s brave actions exemplified an inspiring assertion of democracy for the world. Civilians stood strong in the face of an attempted insurrection and prevented the potential democratic backsliding across Asia had Yoon been successful. Korea is one of the strongest democracies in Asia and a relatively new democracy. Despite their history of corruption and political oppression, recent developmental expansion, and present political polarization, the Korean people ensured their democracy was resistant to attempts of insurrection. Developing democracies and countries experiencing political polarization, like the United States, can learn from the Korean people’s unwavering commitment to democracy. One example of this is in the immediate judicial accountability following December 2024 in Korea, which starkly contrasts the results of the United States’ insurrection on January 6th, 2021. The United States faced resistance in prosecuting many January 6th protestors, and eventually President Trump granted pardons or commutations to all defendants charged with involvement. The failure to successfully prosecute January 6th protesters reveals the weakness of the democratic system in the United States, whereas Korea’s response to insurrection proves that no one is beyond judicial accountability. Ultimately, Korea serves as a global reminder that the resilience of democracy is dependent on citizens’ commitment to political engagement and organized collective action.
To mark the first anniversary of former President Yoon’s declaration of martial law and subsequent revocation, President Lee Jae Myung designated December third as “People’s Sovereignty Day,” honoring the courage citizens exercised to defend their democracy. In his speech declaring the holiday, President Lee gave credit to the Korean people for their brave and quick assertion of democracy that he claimed was vital to the removal of martial law. While recognizing the unprecedented nature of the attempted insurrection, President Lee underscored that it was “Equally unprecedented in world history that unarmed citizens thwarted it peacefully and with dignity.” The events of December 3rd, 2024 are humble yet monumental. Unarmed citizens stood resolute against their own army as they demanded justice. By peacefully defying the illegal martial law until former President Yoon was impeached and arrested, the South Korean people cemented their undeniable power as the anchor of democracy.
