South Korean presidents don’t have a good track record when it comes to breaking the law. Four of country’s last last six presidents have done time in prison for criminal acts.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was not impeached on Saturday after his People Power Party (PPP) walked out of the National Assembly in a boycott of the vote. But Yoon is far from out of the woods. The leader of his own party, the PPP, said on Friday that Yoon should have his presidential powers suspended after it emerged that the president had ordered the arrests of a list of his foes after announcing martial law. Among those on the list was the aforementioned head of the PPP.
Earlier on Saturday, Yoon apologized for his controversial move saying on national television, “My decision to declare martial law has stemmed from desperation as a leader of this country. But I caused the people anxiety and discomfort in the process, for which I am deeply sorry. I apologize to the South Korean people.”
Yoon could still face another impeachment vote for what lawmakers see as an unconstitutional power grab. But whether he survives the last two and a half years of his term or is booted from office, Yoon has already joined a list of predecessors with serious stains on their reputations.
If Yoon one day enters a prison cell, it will likely shock no one in Korea. After all, the odds are not in his favor. Not counting Yoon, four of the last six democratically elected presidents of Korea have done jail time. Expressed as a percentage, that’s more than 66%.
Korean democracy looks storybook perfect, but consider this: Since World War II, the nation has had 13 heads of state. The first five were not paragons of democracy.
