Last month, we told you of an attempted coup in South Korea after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law during a televised late-night address on Tuesday, 03 December. According to Yoon, he did this to “safeguard the country from “anti-state forces” and “threats posed by North Korea”. 

Consequently, he has since been impeached. The National Assembly passed the motion 204-85. Yoon’s presidential powers and duties were subsequently suspended, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country’s No. 2 official, took over presidential powers on Saturday, 14 December 2024. But before he could get comfortable, Han was also impeached after 192 lawmakers voted in favour of this governmental move, more than the 151 votes needed to succeed. This was because many in the opposition said he was being difficult and refusing to complete Yoon’s impeachment process. 

Before having his presidential title questioned, Yoon’s approval rating had been declining for several months. Parliament, controlled by his opposition, the Democratic Party, had blocked several of his political objectives. He’s also been slammed for dismissing calls for investigations into financial scandals involving him and his wife, Kim Keon Hee.

This week, dramatic scenes took place as Yoon was arrested for the attempted insurrection. On Wednesday, 15 January, Yoon became the first sitting president to be taken into custody in South Korea’s history after investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) carried out a dawn raid on his residence in Seoul.

Since then, he has refused to answer any of the investigators’ questions. On Friday, the CIO said it would ask a court to approve an extension of Yoon’s detention up to 20 days after his lawyers failed to have him released on Thursday. He remains in custody. 

South Korea’s Constitutional Court now has a little less than 180 days to decide whether Yoon’s impeachment stands.