South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol declared an “emergency martial law” on Tuesday, accusing the opposition of paralyzing the government with anti-state activities.
Eric Gomez is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute. His research focuses on the U.S. military budget and force posture, as well as arms control and nuclear stability issues in East Asia
He has provided the following statement on this evolving situation:
“South Korea’s president Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law is an extremely worrying development. Yoon has accused the opposition Democratic Party of “anti-state activities” and sympathy with North Korea based on the party’s efforts to impeach administration officials. This is a massive, dangerous decision that could have far-reaching negative consequences for South Korea’s democratic system of government.
The United States should respond quickly and firmly against Yoon. There is no evidence that supports Yoon’s accusations, and if there is evidence to be found then there are much less extreme ways to bring it to light.
Unfortunately, Washington has a long history of tolerating authoritarian behavior in South Korea, especially when the government in Seoul is right wing, for the sake of cohesion against the North Korean threat. Given recent North Korean missile tests and support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration might feel compelled to back Yoon despite its rhetoric about supporting liberal democracy. This would be a mistake. South Korea’s democratization has led to massive improvements in personal and economic liberty, the general wellbeing of South Koreans, and Seoul’s self-defense against North Korean attack. If Yoon is not stopped, then all this progress could be reversed to the detriment of the South Korean people and US interests.”
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