CNN
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Last year, a blockbuster film shocked South Korea with its dramatization of a painful reminder of its authoritarian past, when the assassination of President Park Chung-hee in 1979 led to a military coup and plunged the country into the iron grip of martial law.

As South Koreans watched in shock and anger as their current President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on live television last night, some feared their democratic country was dangerously close to revisiting this dark chapter.

Yoon was forced to relent and lifted the martial law order just hours later after lawmakers voted unanimously to block the decree amid intense nationwide outcry.

The night of extraordinary events sent shock waves across the country.

“Who would have thought that martial law would be declared these days? But it happened. And it was a surprise for all of us,” retired Lt. Gen. Chun In-bum told CNN.

But the political whiplash is far from over.

Six opposition parties submitted a bill calling for Yoon’s impeachment on Wednesday afternoon, Yonhap news agency reported.

“The president now lacks independent power,” said Sungmin Park, a political analyst at Min Consulting in Seoul, saying Yoon’s decree was “political suicide.”

An ignominious departure from Yoon would be anything but an anomaly; Many of his predecessors also fell from high office into disgrace. South Korea’s presidential history has been marked by coups, imprisonments, impeachments and an assassination attempt as the country transitioned from decades of military dictatorship to a vibrant democracy.

The Republic’s first president after independence from Japan after World War II was forced into exile by a student revolt in 1960. His successor remained in office for less than two years before being overthrown in a coup.

Park, the next authoritarian president who ruled for 18 years, was shot dead by his own intelligence chief in 1979, triggering an era of turmoil and brutal dictatorial rule that left an indelible mark on the country’s political psyche.

Shortly after Park’s death, Chun Doo-hwan, an army major general, seized power in a coup and imposed martial law, arresting opponents, closing universities, banning political activity, and suppressing the press.

This was the last time martial law was declared in South Korea. For many citizens who lived through this era, Yoon’s decree, however brief, served as a painful reminder of the oppression and terror of military rule.

When student-led pro-democracy demonstrations broke out in the southern city of Gwangju in 1980 to protest the use of martial law, Chun sent the military to crush the uprising, killing nearly 200 people. He ruled with an iron fist until 1988, after mass protests forced him to allow open presidential elections demanded by a nationwide pro-democracy movement.

In the 1990s, Chun was prosecuted for the Gwangju coup and crackdown. He was sentenced to death but was later pardoned.

Since the late 1980s, South Korea has developed into a robust democracy with regular protests, free expression, fair elections and peaceful transfers of power. But the domestic political scene remains polarized and divided, and presidents on both sides of the political divide often face calls for impeachment and prosecution.

Roh Moo-hyun, president from 2003 to 2008, committed suicide after leaving office while under investigation for corruption allegations. His successor, Lee Myung-bak, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for corruption after resigning.

And Park Chung-hee’s daughter Park Geun-hye, South Korea’s first female president, was impeached by the National Assembly for influencing her top aide and friend. She was sentenced to 24 years in prison for corruption and abuse of power. She was later pardoned.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said South Korean democracy values ​​both leadership and responsibility.

“Political parties often rise and fall with charismatic personalities rather than ensuring institutional continuity based on ideology or policy,” he said.

“Scandal-hungry media and a public that quickly mobilizes for mass demonstrations make it difficult for presidents to maintain public approval. The legacies of development dictatorships include the concentration of significant powers in the highest office, but also a constitution that limits the president to a single five-year term.

“Therefore, corruption and abuse of power are common risks, but so is retributive justice once or after the leader has lost the moral mandate to govern.”

Yoon’s political future is now at stake as calls for his resignation and impeachment proceedings mount across the political spectrum.

The main opposition party, the Democratic Party, said it had begun formalizing plans for treason charges against Yoon and his defense and interior ministers, Yonhap news agency reported. Yoon also faces increasing disunity within his party, which has opposed his move to impose martial law, calling it unconstitutional.

The ruling People Power Party is considering calling for the resignation of Yoon’s entire cabinet and the dismissal of his defense minister, Yonhap reported. There is discussion about whether to call for Yoon’s resignation, Yonhap said.

Yoon’s chief of staff and other top officials have already tendered their resignations.