Calls for impeachment are following South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration and subsequent lifting of martial law. Cornell University experts provide insight on what other democracies should take away from the events of the last two days.
Tom Pepinsky, a professor of government who researches democratic backsliding in Southeast Asia, says its fortunate that President Yoon’s martial law declaration was quickly and decisively opposed by Korea’s lawmakers, media, citizens, and the president’s own party.
Pepinsky says: “President Yoon’s attempt to declare martial law reveals the fragility of the rule of law in divided societies, especially those with presidential governments in which the chief executive cannot be easily dismissed by the legislature.
“Fortunately for Korean democracy, his martial law declaration was quickly and decisively opposed not only by the country’s National Assembly, but also by important sectors in the media, civil society, and the rank-and-file members of the military who opted not to use violence against protestors and members of parliament. Most importantly, no members of President Yoon's own party were willing to defend his actions in public, nor did any vote in defense of his martial law declaration.
“Korean democracy has survived a close call, and other democracies with a presidential form of government should take heed of the lessons from this episode: defending democracy in the face of an illegal executive power-grab requires immediate, decisive action from the opposition, the governing party, the security sector, and civil society.”
Rachel Beatty Riedl, the director of Cornell University’s Center on Global Democracy and a scholar of Sub-Saharan Africa political systems, says that the turmoil of the last 24 hours has implications for other developed democracies.
Riedl says: “The South Korean President’s attempt to grab power and declare martial law demonstrates that wealthy advanced industrial democracies are not immune to the potential for democracy to break down.
“The sources of democratic resistance also provide lessons for all: the citizens’ protests gave courage and opportunity for other institutional checks to take hold via the National Assembly.”
For interviews contact Ellen Leventry, (607) 288-3784, eel2@cornell.edu.
More News from A&S
