Citizens Suffering from 'Martial Law Aftereffects'... Successive Compensation Lawsuits Filed Against President Yoon

10,000 Participants Express Intent, First Lawsuit Filed
Legal Community Predicts High Chances of Victory

Cases of citizens suffering from aftereffects such as anxiety and depression following the ‘12·3 Emergency Martial Law Incident’ filing damage claims against President Yoon Suk-yeol continue to emerge.

On the 7th, the day of the vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol, citizens are watching President Yoon's national address in the waiting room of Seoul Station. Photo by Kang Jin-hyeong

According to the legal community on the 23rd, the ‘Preparation Group for Damage Claims Against Yoon Suk-yeol’s Acts of Rebellion,’ which is conducting a compensation lawsuit against President Yoon, is preparing to file a second lawsuit with 10,060 plaintiffs. The first lawsuit, with 105 plaintiffs, has already been filed at the Seoul Central District Court.

A participant identified as A said, “I cannot sleep deeply because I am afraid that martial law will be imposed again,” and added, “My physical condition is poor, so I am seeing a psychiatrist.” Another participant, Lee (43), said, “Whether I go to work or leave work, I keep thinking about martial law and feel anxious.”

Attorney Lee Geum-gyu, who proposed the lawsuit, said, “After the emergency martial law, the Constitutional Court is conducting an impeachment trial, and investigative agencies are investigating, but individual citizens who are victims have no legal means to receive help other than participating in rallies, which led us to prepare this lawsuit,” adding, “The key issue will be whether individual acts that directly cause fear can be recognized.”

He continued, “Since the martial law proclamation at the time explicitly stated that citizens could be arrested or detained without a warrant, infringing on basic rights, it is expected that proving damages occurred will not be very difficult.”

The Gwangju Women Lawyers Association filed a ‘mental damage compensation lawsuit’ against President Yoon at the Gwangju District Court on the 17th. Attorney Yoo Han-byeol said, “The confusion and mental damage to citizens caused by the unlawful martial law proclamation are foreseeable, so we believe there is a possibility of winning the case,” emphasizing, “Acts that threaten the very foundation of the Republic of Korea in violation of popular sovereignty and the rule of law require individual citizens to express their resistance, and legal professionals’ active involvement can secure persuasiveness.”

The legal community highly anticipates the possibility of this damage claim being accepted. Attorney Kwon Kyu-bo of the law firm Majung said, “Since the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion, it can be seen as partial proof that the martial law violated the Constitution or laws,” adding, “If the Constitutional Court’s decision confirms that citizens’ basic rights were infringed, it may become easier to prove.” An anonymous attorney stated, “Although mental damages are invisible and may be difficult to judge, even if compensation of 100 won is recognized as consolation money, the likelihood of acceptance seems high.”