Yoon's presidency marked by controversy and division ends in impeachment

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Yoon's presidency marked by controversy and division ends in impeachment

Published: 04 Apr. 2025, 14:01

LIM JEONG-WON
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol walks away from the podium at an event in March 2023. Yoon's impeachment was upheld by the Constitutional Court on April 4, 2025, removing him from office. [YONHAP]

In Korea’s modern political history, few leaders have taken such a tumultuous path to power — and experienced such a swift reversal of fortune — as Yoon Suk Yeol. From a relentless anti-corruption prosecutor to a deeply divisive president Yoon’s story is one of ambition, political reinvention and political career-ending controversy.

While struggling with low approval ratings since he took office in 2022, his ultimate downfall came on the night he declared martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, which led to his parliamentary impeachment on Friday.

Yoon was unanimously impeached on Friday by the Constitutional Court.

So who is Yoon, what was the trajectory of his rise and fall in power and how did we get here, facing another presidential election with a second president in Korea’s history impeached?

A reluctant politician

Born in 1960 in Seoul to an academically distinguished family, Yoon’s path to public office was anything but conventional. His father, a respected economist, and his mother, a university professor, instilled in him a deep respect for scholarship that led him to attend Seoul National University, the country's top university. Despite taking the bar exam multiple times — a total of nine times — before passing, Yoon launched a legal career that would come to define his public persona.

For most of his life, Yoon appeared uninterested in political power. His name was built not in parliament or at party rallies, but in courtrooms and investigations. He spent nearly three decades in the prosecution service, where he developed a reputation for taking on powerful figures, regardless of political stripes.

His early years in the prosecution saw him involved in bold actions, including the arrest of a top police intelligence official on corruption charges — a signal that he was not reluctant on challenging institutions typically considered untouchable. But it was his work on high-profile cases in the 2010s that catapulted him into the national spotlight.

Citizens watch the live broadcast of the Constitutional Court's impeachment trial verdict in the waiting room of Seoul Station in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on April 4. [NEWS1]

Prosecution foothold

Yoon became a household name through his involvement in prosecuting key political scandals. In the wake of allegations that Korea’s intelligence service manipulated public opinion ahead of the 2012 election, Yoon led a probe that ruffled conservative feathers — particularly because it implicated efforts to support then-candidate Park Geun-hye.

He would later play a key role in the investigation of Park herself, after her administration was rocked by revelations of undue influence wielded by her confidante, Choi Soon-sil. The scandal ultimately led to Park’s impeachment and imprisonment, and Yoon’s image as an enforcer of justice solidified.

In a twist of irony, the liberal Moon Jae-in administration — elected on promises of transparency and justice — brought Yoon back into prominence, appointing him as head of the powerful Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office and later as Prosecutor General in 2019. However, this alliance quickly deteriorated.

Yoon initiated a probe into Justice Minister nominee Cho Kuk, who was accused of ethical violations and academic fraud tied to his daughter’s university applications. The investigation enraged Moon’s base and Yoon was accused of politicizing his role.

He found himself at odds with successive justice ministers, including Choo Mi-ae, who sought to limit the powers of the prosecution through internal reshuffles and suspensions. Yoon resisted each move through legal challenges, bolstering his public image as a defender of prosecutorial independence.

A day before the impeachment trial of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, gas stations near the Constitutional Court in Jongno District, central Seoul were closed on April 3. [NEWS1]

From political outsider to conservative hope

The sustained feud with the Moon administration inadvertently turned Yoon into a darling of the conservative bloc, which had once reviled him for his role in Park’s downfall. As Moon’s Democratic Party moved to curtail prosecutorial authority, many saw Yoon as the last line of defense against political overreach.

By 2021, speculation over a potential presidential bid became reality. Yoon officially entered the political fray and, in a matter of months, joined the main opposition People Power Party (PPP).

His candidacy seemed improbable — he had no experience in elected office and had long been associated with progressive legal causes. Yet his appeal as an outsider and “fixer” resonated with voters disillusioned by establishment politics.

Yoon won the 2022 presidential election by a razor-thin margin — just 0.73 percentage points — defeating Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party (DP) in the closest race in Korean history. His victory marked a stunning reversal of fortunes for the conservative camp and underscored deep national divisions.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, enters the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, after completing his investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) on charges of being the leader of insurrection, on Jan. 15. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

A presidency under fire

From the beginning, Yoon's presidency was marked by combative rhetoric and bold moves. He adopted a hard-line stance on Pyongyang and emphasized strengthening security ties with the United States, steering foreign policy away from the more conciliatory posture of his predecessor.

Domestically, however, Yoon faced headwinds. With the National Assembly controlled by the opposition, his ability to push through major reforms was severely limited. The administration was also dogged by scandal. His wife, Kim Keon Hee, faced scrutiny over exaggerated resumes used for academic posts. His mother-in-law was prosecuted for fraud involving state health benefits.

Yoon's personal conduct also came under fire. He occasionally stumbled during public appearances — once drawing attention for a pen-inked character on his hand meant to evoke authority and another time facing ridicule over comments deemed tone-deaf or dismissive.

Still, for his supporters, these missteps were minor compared to what they viewed as his principled governance. Yoon styled himself as a leader unafraid to confront bureaucracy and challenge political norms. To critics, however, this translated into a confrontational and often authoritarian style of leadership.

The breaking point

In December 2024, tensions came to a head when Yoon declared martial law, citing vague claims of an internal threat to national stability. He accused the main opposition DP of collusion with North Korea, alleging they sought to “dismantle the foundations of the Republic.” He ordered military forces to surround the National Assembly and temporarily suspended legislative activity.

The move shocked the nation and was swiftly condemned by lawmakers, legal experts and international observers. For many, the sight of troops encircling the National Assembly evoked the country’s authoritarian past.

Public protests erupted across the country and calls for impeachment came from all sides of the political spectrum.

On Dec. 14, 2024, the National Assembly voted overwhelmingly to impeach Yoon, charging him with multiple violations of the Constitution and abuse of power. The motion suspended his authority pending a ruling from the Constitutional Court, with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo appointed as acting president.

Yoon’s supporters framed the impeachment as a politically motivated retaliation, while critics warned that his actions had dangerously overstepped democratic norms. And now with the Constitutional Court's final decision which permanently removes him from office, Yoon becomes the second president in Korea’s history to be ousted.

Legacy in limbo

Yoon’s legacy remains uncertain — his rise was meteoric, powered by an image of incorruptibility and a dogged pursuit of justice. Yet his fall has been just as dramatic, mired in allegations of overreach and authoritarianism.

Whatever his legacy turns out to be, Yoon’s presidency has already reshaped the contours of Korean politics. He shattered traditional party alignments, challenged institutional norms and forced a national reckoning with questions of justice, power and democratic integrity.

For some, Yoon will be remembered as a bold reformer who dared to confront entrenched interests. For others, he will go down as a cautionary tale — of what happens when a man of law forgets the law’s ultimate purpose: to serve the people, not rule over them.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]