"K-Drama Like... Presidential Role Depends on Yoon's Constitutional and Legal Knowledge" WSJ Correspondent Analyzes Korean Political Situation

"Currently Reached Early Part of Act 3" Metaphor

Timothy Martin, head of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Korea bureau, compared the situation in Korea following the declaration of martial law to a K-drama.

Timothy Martin, Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Korea Bureau Chief. Screenshot from CSIS website

On the 20th (local time), during an online discussion hosted by the Washington DC think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) regarding the situation in Korea after the declaration of martial law, he said, "I want to make an analogy. I have spoken with people from both the conservative and progressive sides in Korea, and they all say that this whole story feels like a K-drama or a movie."

Martin described President Yoon Seok-yeol's (currently suspended from duty) inauguration in 2022, his background as a prosecutor, the prolonged communication gap between the president and the opposition leader, and the controversy over First Lady Kim Geon-hee's luxury handbag as Act 1. He then likened the declaration of martial law by President Yoon on the 3rd, the National Assembly's resolution to lift it, and the passage of the impeachment motion against President Yoon on the 14th as Act 2, explaining that Korea is now at the beginning of Act 3.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is delivering a national address at his residence in Hannam-dong on the 14th, after his impeachment motion was passed in the National Assembly. Photo by Yonhap News

He also said, "Even those who criticize President Yoon would acknowledge that unlike previous presidential impeachment attempts, he possesses a specialized skill," adding, "He is a former prosecutor, and his specialized skill is his knowledge of Korea's legal system and constitution."

Martin further explained, "President Yoon is currently in the process of assembling an 'all-star' legal team and will likely attempt to argue that the declaration of martial law is an act of governance and therefore not a crime." He predicted that Yoon's knowledge of the constitution and law will be a decisive factor in whether his presidency ends or continues. He added, "This is a crazy period in Korean politics," and "Even by 2025, it will still be chaotic."

Victor Cha, CSIS Korea Chair, commented on the fact that the Korean president has been impeached for the third time, saying, "Partly, it is due to Korea's political culture of 'fighting until death,' but the main cause is structural." He pointed out, "The single five-year presidential term makes a president who has performed poorly in midterm elections (general elections) vulnerable for the remainder of the term."

Meanwhile, the impeachment approval process in Korean politics has drawn global attention and has been explained by the 'ppalipali' (빨리빨리, meaning 'hurry hurry') culture. On the 17th, Bloomberg reported on the process in which the impeachment motion was passed in the National Assembly just 11 days after President Yoon's declaration of martial law, stating, "The ppalipali spirit also appeared in this political transition."

Yonhap News

It continued, "After President Yoon announced martial law, Koreans immediately organized large-scale protests, and thousands of citizens poured into the streets of Seoul." It analyzed that the ppalipali culture influenced Korea's postwar economic reconstruction and industrialization, and this characteristic was clearly evident in the current martial law situation. However, it also explained that this culture is not simply about speed but is an "emotion of patience and survival."