march

Mr. Yoon was elected to office with the narrowest majority since South Korea began holding free presidential elections in 1987. Within days, he announced a controversial plan to relocate the Defense Department so his office could move to its grounds, at a cost to taxpayers of $1.5 million, or about $41 million.

May

Weeks into Mr. Yoon’s term, two of his Cabinet nominees withdrew after being accused of nepotism. Three more would resign within months.

September

A media outlet released a recording in which Mr. Yoon appeared to use a profanity to refer to U.S. lawmakers after a meeting with President Biden. Mr. Yoon called the report “fake news” and members of his party attempted to break into the broadcaster’s offices. Mr. Yoon tried repeatedly Journalists and news organizations this criticized him, leading to accusations of censorship and backsliding on democratic values.

October

Halloween celebrations in Itaewon, a lively Seoul district, ended in disaster when 159 young people were killed in a stampede. Grieving families were angry with the government. Records showed that authorities had missed several opportunities to prevent such a disaster. However, the government insisted that it was not responsible for public safety that evening as the celebrations were not an official event. Mr. Yoon blamed the local officials and refused to apologize.

march

To improve relations with Tokyo, Mr. Yoon announced that his government would no longer demand compensation from Japan for the forced labor of Koreans during World War II and would instead pay the victims himself. Mr. Biden praised the deal, but critics at home viewed the decision as a capitulation to South Korea’s former colonial master.

April

Citing concerns about overproduction, Mr. Yoon vetoed a bill that would have required the government to buy excess rice to stabilize prices. farmers have since taken to the streets to demand the bill’s return.

May

Tens of thousands of nurses went on strike after Mr Yoon vetoed legislation to improve their pay and working conditions. Mr Yoon referred to reservations that doctors and nursing assistants had expressed about the bill.

August

Mr. Yoon’s approval of nearby Japan’s plan to discharge treated radioactive wastewater from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant sparked a public backlash.

November

Video captured by a hidden camera shows Mr. Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, accepting an expensive Dior bag. Before Mr. Yoon took office, she had been accused of questionable financial dealings. Lawmakers passed a bill calling for an investigation into the allegations, but Mr. Yoon vetoed it, denying that his wife had done anything wrong.

December

Mr. Yoon vetoed a union-backed bill that would restrict companies’ ability to sue workers over strike losses. With stagnating wages metal workercritical to South Korea’s automobile and shipbuilding industries, have been protesting the government’s labor policies for months.

February

Aspiring doctors quit their jobs, demanding better pay and working conditions and protesting against Mr. Yoon’s plan to dramatically increase enrollment in medical schools. Some seniors Doctors soon decided to join the strike one day a week. Many patients blamed the president’s lack of compromise for the disruption.

April

In parliamentary elections, voters gave the opposition 187 of the 300 seats in the National Assembly, one of the largest majorities in decades. The results were widely seen as a verdict on Mr. Yoon, and his approval rating hit a new low: 23 percent.

May

Mr Yoon vetoed a bill calling for a special investigation into the death of a marine and its consequences. The Marine died in 2023 during a mission to rescue flood victims; It later emerged that his team had not received life jackets. An official investigating the case accused Mr. Yoon of pressuring the Defense Ministry to whitewash the matter.

November

Calling for wage protection, the country’s largest union organizer announced plans to strike tens of thousands of railroad, subway and school workers in the first week of December.

December 3rd

Mr Yoon declared martial law – but he withdrew the order six hours later after lawmakers rushed to the National Assembly and voted to lift it.