Asia-Pacific

South Korea Reflects During One-Year Anniversary of Martial Law Declaration

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By Patrick Chen/John Van Trieste

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South Korea is reflecting one year after an abortive declaration of martial law — with the effects still being felt.

One Year After Martial Law: South Korea Reflects on a Pivotal Day 

 

REPORTER:   

It’s exactly one year since South Korean lawmaker Kim Sang-wook's life took a sudden turn. He’s back in front of the National Assembly building where it all went down. 

 

On December 3, 2024, then-president Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law for the first time since the 1980s. The country was polarized between Yoon’s supporters and those who felt he’d crossed a big line. As troops swarmed Seoul, Kim rushed to the parliament building, facing down armed soldiers and participating in the vote that undid the declaration a few hours later. 

 

Kim was a member of Yoon’s People Power Party. But he felt Yoon had gone too far. He recalls his complex feelings after voting for Yoon’s impeachment. 

 

Kim Sang-wook (SOUTH KOREAN LAWMAKER):   

My first thought was, 'We stopped it. We finally stopped a broken, runaway locomotive.' My second thought was, 'I was at that crucial juncture, a historic moment when the nation was on the verge of collapse.' My third thought was, 'What do I do? What do I do now?' My fourth thought was, 'I have nowhere to go.' 

 

He’s since switched political sides, joining the Democratic Party of Korea. Kim wasn’t the only one who made difficult choices last December 3rd. 

 

At the time, Ryu Hyuk was the inspector general at the justice ministry. He headed straight to his office, where officials were already talking about the martial law declaration. He wrote a hasty letter of resignation, shouted “no matter your political views, martial law is not acceptable” — and walked out. He thinks others would have joined him had the martial law order not been reversed so fast. A year on, he’s still thinking about his next step in life. 

 

Ryu Hyuk (FMR. S. KOREAN INSPECTOR GENERAL):   

Before [the impeachment], I was really stressed and went through difficult times, but after that, even if there were various problems, it was nothing compared to the chaos before the impeachment trial. Currently, I am doing well and at ease, and I'm now considering what I should do going forward. 

 

But thousands of ordinary South Koreans took to the streets too, adding to the pressure. 

 

Kim Da-in was one of them. She sped to the parliament building, arriving after martial law was lifted but before the chaos had passed. She went viral for a video of her stopping a tank. It’s become a defining moment in her life that has this university student confident she can achieve anything. 

 

Kim Da-in (UNIVERSITY STUDENT):   

As a woman who stopped a tank, what I wanted to say was, ‘I want to keep stopping it.’ 

 

A year on, South Korea has a new president—Lee Jae Myung. Today, he’s addressed the nation—praising those who defended South Korea’s constitution and democracy and declaring December 3rd “People’s Sovereignty Day.” But he says there’s still work to do, starting with punishing those behind the coup—and he also says the country must stay vigilant. 

 

Lee Jae Myung (SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT):   

(The perpetrators) attempted to destroy the entire constitutional order of South Korea and sought to rule the country with military violence above law and order, and the possibility of that becoming reality was extremely high. Such things can happen again at any time. 

 

The legal and political fallout of last year’s events continue — making December 3, 2024 a date that will likely be remembered as a significant point in South Korea’s history.