Chris Hayes argued on Tuesday that the successful resistance against South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempt to seize control of the country via martial law offers lessons for the United States.
The MSNBC host said that the citizen-led outcry, described as a kind of “reverse January 6” by some on social media, is a reminder that “in the end, the last bulwark of democracy: the people themselves, working with and through an elected opposition unafraid to do the right thing.”
In the last 24 hours “citizens of South Korea have taken to the streets to defend democracy against an erratic far-right president who declared martial law,” Hayes began his segment. The protests started after Yoon falsely claimed the country was under threat from North Korea and declared martial law.
After opposition leader Lee Jae-myung called on the public to protest the decree, thousands of people gathered at the parliament, which was by then under guard by the military. Local media documented outbreaks of mild violence between protestors and armed guards, and members of parliament unanimously voted against the decree in the middle of the night. Yoon retracted the declaration a few hours later.
You can watch the segment from “All In With Chris Hayes” in the video below:
As Hayes put it, it was a declaration made by someone in favor of a “straight-up dictatorship,” even though South Korea is a democracy – and in response, its citizens fought back. “People immediately took to the streets in the freezing cold of night, in their park as all ages. And they did not just protest for the sake of protest, and they had a very specific goal in mind,” he said. The goal: for the parliament to block Yoon’s declaration completely.
Yoon’s 2022 run came during a period in which South Korea has experienced rising home prices and job scarcity coupled with low birth rates and an aging population, but his campaign was centered on anti-feminism and male resentment. In the end, he was elected by only .08 percentage points; despite this lack of any clear mandate, Hayes explained, he has tried to “dismantle the government’s gender equity agency” and also to raise the country’s work week from 52 hours to 69 hours.
“He also tried to push to reform the country’s medical system — that led to months of mass strikes by doctors and nurses — and you’ll never guess he and his family got embroiled in a bunch of scandals, including allegations of accepting improper gifts,” Hayes explained, a dry reference to President-elect Trump.
In Parliamentary elections earlier this year, voters turned out in huge numbers, giving the opposition party control of the legislature. Since then, Yoon has effectively refused to work with Parliament at all, setting a new record for vetoing legislation. Yoon has also attempted to interfere with national elections and stymied investigations into his family members and government. His approval rating has meanwhile plummeted to 17%. Read more about it here.
His martial law declaration ordered the cessation of “all political activities, including the operations of the National Assembly, local councils, political parties, political associations, assemblies and demonstrations” The media was “subject to the control of the martial law,” and “command strikes, work slowdowns and gatherings that incite social disorder are forbidden.” He also ordered any medical professionals on strike to return to work or be “dealt with.”
After backing down, Yoon now faces widespread demands to step down, including from South Korea’s largest union, which has called for a general strike until he is removed from office.
