The political crisis in South Korea, between polarization and outdated institutions

A month after conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, the political crisis continues in South Korea. The massive mobilization of a population attached to democratic values ​​resulted in the dismissal of the leader, awaiting validation by the Constitutional Court. This deep crisis illustrates the excesses of a polarized political culture marked by an imbalance of powers, with a president who is too powerful. Read also | South Korea: ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol under threat of arrest warrant Read later « Over the past few political cycles, revenge against adversaries has become a major feature of South Korean politics, Sun analyzes Ryung-park and Yves Tiberghien, from the University of British Columbia. This phenomenon, combined with the discontent following the Covid-19 pandemic and increasing inequality, has made political polarization particularly toxic. Each side is locked in a social media bubble and views the other as an existential threat. » Society is riddled with intergenerational conflicts, between men and women, between poor and rich, but also between regional origins. During the 2022 presidential election, Mr. Yoon won at the end of a particularly harmful campaign, taking advantage of the support of young men angry at the rise of feminism and a rejection of the economic policies of his predecessor, the progressive Moon Jae-in (2017-2022). The left is more than ever accused of complicity with North Korea; this is the argument used by Mr. Yoon to justify martial law. The right is criticized for a certain benevolence towards past dictatorships and revisionist positions on Japanese colonization (1910-1945). “De facto kings” “With a one-round presidential election, the winner takes all, which accentuates bipolarization,” observes Kim Dong-yeon, democratic governor of Gyeonggi province. Our country elects presidents for a single term who are de facto kings, because their powers are important. Then the king is killed (politically speaking) and a new one is elected five years later,” adds Jeong Nam-ku, editor-in-chief of the center-left daily Hankyoreh. Targeted by investigations ordered by their successors, most end up in prison. You have 60.71% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.



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