South Korea's Democracy Saved Itself (2024)
https://carnegieendowment.org/emissary/2024/12/south-korea-democracy-yoon-protests?lang=enFor example, martial law decree no. 1 said "Activities of national assembly, local assemblies, political parties, and all political activities such as political association, assembly, demonstration are hereby forbidden". Decree was widely published and it is a strong evidence that Yoon intended to violate the constitution and disable the legislative branch. Yoon is now claiming "it was copy and pasted from old authoritarian martial law decrees by mistake". No, really. It doesn't make any sense by itself, but moreover, this can't possibly be the case because South Korean local rule was introduced after democratic transition so no mention of "local assemblies" is possible in old decrees. I mean, lying is pretty difficult, reality has surprising details...
Sounds like a standard "democratic leader" these days.
The sheer contempt the older generation of Korean politicians have to democratic norms is disheartening but sadly not surprising.
While all countries show hallmarks of gerontocracy, I feel it's much more stark in South Korea given how rapidly SK shifted from developing to developed.
Hopefully the younger generation of Koreans can finally take the mantle of power, but I'm pessimistic about it - at best it'd be scions from monied families that have done well since the Park era if not all the way to the Japanese era.