Yoon's Approval Rating Drops, Cornered with a Bold Move
"Failed Coup by the Sitting President" Also Evaluated
Attention on Possible Disruption of Prime Minister Ishiba's Visit to Korea
Japanese media focused on reporting President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration and lifting of martial law, closely monitoring the potential impact on future South Korea-Japan relations. In particular, there were concerns that the scheduled visit of Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru to South Korea next month might face disruptions.
On the 4th, Kyodo News reported that a Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said regarding Prime Minister Ishiba's visit to South Korea, "There may be an impact depending on future developments." The Yomiuri Shimbun also noted, "Plans had been made for Prime Minister Ishiba to visit South Korea in January next year and hold a summit with President Yoon, but there is a possibility that the schedule may change."
Earlier, major Japanese newspapers including the progressive-leaning Asahi Shimbun prominently featured articles about President Yoon's declaration of martial law on the front pages of their morning editions and at the top of their websites, highlighting the issue. Asahi Shimbun evaluated, "The Yoon administration, launched in 2022, appears to have resorted to emergency measures to protect its power as its approval rating fell to the 20% range," adding, "The decline in President Yoon's centripetal force is an inevitable political situation."
Japanese media especially focused on the possibility that this incident could cause significant repercussions for bilateral relations, which had been improving ahead of the normalization of diplomatic relations and the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year. Yomiuri pointed out, "Related events were being considered to mark the 60th anniversary of normalization, but the martial law declaration seems to have poured cold water on those plans."
Previously, South Korean Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun and Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen agreed to hold a bilateral meeting and for Nakatani to visit South Korea within the year during the 11th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-plus) held in Laos on the 21st of last month. However, due to the impact of South Korea's martial law situation, there are views that the Japanese Defense Minister's visit to South Korea, the first in nine years since 2015, is unlikely to materialize. Regarding South Korea's martial law situation, Defense Minister Nakatani said, "We will watch the situation with special attention."
Japanese media, which intensively reported on South Korea's martial law situation that day, pointed to the deterioration of President Yoon's support base as the cause of the incident. Although he made a decisive move to reverse the situation, the assessment is that the situation has worsened. Kyodo News analyzed, "President Yoon's approval rating, halfway through his term in November, was low at around 20%, and it seems the declaration was also aimed at overcoming the situation," adding, "Although he claimed to eradicate anti-state forces, it is unclear exactly what President Yoon means by anti-state forces."
A columnist and editorial board member of Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) explained, "The martial law declared for the first time in 44 years, which surprised the world, was lifted in a short period according to the constitution," and added, "President Yoon, who likely sees it difficult to complete his term safely due to opposition attacks and friction with the conservative camp, seems to have taken a 'do-or-die' gamble." However, he noted, "It is obvious that opposition parties will intensify attacks accusing him of plunging the country into chaos," and "President Yoon continues to face a very difficult situation."
In Japan, there were also evaluations describing President Yoon's martial law declaration as a "failed coup." Kensaku Fukui, a lawyer who contributed to Nikkei's article on the Korean martial law situation, said, "Usually, with the declaration of martial law, the military suppresses the parliament, but it seems to have been too late," and added, "It clearly appears to be a failed coup by the president." He further diagnosed, "Since the coup failed, the issue of applying charges of rebellion against the president is bound to arise," and "It seems to perfectly fit the current international situation marked by division and confrontation."
Japanese government officials also appeared unable to hide their bewilderment at President Yoon's martial law declaration. According to the right-wing Sankei Shimbun, a Japanese government official said, "We were watching how President Yoon would overcome his low approval ratings, but we did not expect this kind of development," and added, "We will monitor the situation going forward." A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official also stated, "The declaration of martial law is a serious matter," and claimed, "Moving the military is tantamount to a coup."
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