To get around the soldiers blocking the entrance to Parliament, Democratic Party Chairman Lee Jae-myung livestreamed himself climbing over the walls to get in and vote against martial law. Lee said in Korean: “The economy of the Republic of Korea will collapse irretrievably. My fellow citizens, please come to the National Assembly.”

Al Jazeera reported that Democratic Party leader Park Chan-dea said Yoon could not avoid treason charges because of his actions.

The last South Korean president to be impeached was South Korea’s first female president, Park Geun-hye, who was officially removed from office in 2017. She is the daughter of former President Park Chung-hee, a dictator who served five consecutive terms until he was assassinated in 1979.

When did South Korea become a democracy?

Although South Korea is known as a democratic nation, this was not the case a century ago. Before the Korean peninsula was divided into north and south, the then unified country was colonized by Japan from 1910 to 1945. Japan surrendered to the Allies in 1945, but Korea was still not free. The world’s most powerful allies (the United States and the Soviet Union) could not agree on a unified Korean government and divided the country. The US occupied the Republic of Korea (in the South), while the Soviets did the same in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea).

In 1948, Syngman Rhee was elected president by members of the National Assembly. He led an authoritarian government that included massacres of protesters. Two years later, North Korea (supported by China and the Soviet Union) invaded South Korea (supported by the United States). Although the fighting ended with the signing of a ceasefire agreement on July 27, 1953, neither side signed a peace treaty. Therefore, technically the Korean War never ended.

Strongman leadership and military dictatorship in South Korea only ended with the revision of the country’s constitution in 1987. Roh Tae-woo became the first president of South Korea elected by direct popular vote.

How do Koreans react?

Korean citizens were alarmed and outraged by the imposition of martial law. Many remember the student-led Gwangju uprising of 1980, when protesters died in a violent military crackdown. Students and others demonstrating against the government at Chonnam National University were reportedly shot, mistreated, raped and tortured by the South Korean military. Some put the death toll at over 1,000.

Just three months ago, South Korean experts argued that it was unlikely that a military coup would ever take place in their country again. “A heated debate surrounds allegations that the Yoon Suk Yeol government is preparing for martial law,” wrote Wang Son-taek, an associate professor at Sogang University, in an essay for the Korea Herald in September. “The opposition has expressed suspicions, claiming that the government’s recent actions indicate preparations for martial law… Could a president in a high-profile democracy like South Korea realistically seek martial law, which amounts to a palace coup? Simply put, it is almost impossible.”

Why are K-pop fans speaking out about the news?

K-pop fans tend to stay up to date with everything that’s happening in South Korea, especially developments that could impact the country’s music industry. While some were concerned about the potential safety of the recruited idols – including members of BTS, Monsta

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