[Yoon Seok-yeol Dismissal] Presidential Bid Just 8 Months After Entering Politics... Extreme Gamble Turns into Self-Defeating Move

Three Years of Ups and Downs
Yongsan Presidential Office, Itaewon Tragedy, and
"My Way" Politics Disappoint the Public
Launched the "4+1" Reform,
But Deregulation and Tax Cuts Showed No Clear Results
Failed to Build National Consensus

"I will definitely build a country where the people are the true owners together with the great citizens."

President Yoon Suk-yeol left his inauguration promise on May 10, 2022, as an echo in the air, failing to complete his three-year term and disappearing into the annals of history. Prosecutor Yoon Suk-yeol, who gained attention during the Park Geun-hye administration's National Assembly audit with the phrase "I do not serve people," was a fast-rising star in the Moon Jae-in administration, advancing from Seoul Central District Prosecutor to Prosecutor General.

Yonhap News

On June 29, 2021, with only about eight months left before the presidential election, he declared his entry into politics and challenged the presidency, saying he would "restore the sovereignty stolen from the people." Ironically, however, he was stripped of the presidency through the declaration of 'martial law,' which infringed on the basic rights of the people.

Controversy began with his choice to move the presidential office from the Blue House to Yongsan after his inauguration. The Itaewon tragedy on October 29, 2022, made people question the government's raison d'?tre. Failing to grasp the shock and sorrow of the people, he disappointed them with a my-way style of politics.

His unfamiliarity with political language and grammar was initially refreshing but increasingly felt lacking and disappointing over time. Expectations for cooperation from both inside and outside the political sphere collapsed, and relations with the opposition party were strained from beginning to end. He was criticized for disregarding the National Assembly by skipping the 2025 budget speech and the opening ceremony of the National Assembly. After his inauguration, former President Yoon exercised veto power on 25 bills, becoming the second most frequent user of veto power after President Rhee Syngman, who served for 12 years.

Kim Geon-hee Risk Hampered Throughout Term

Conflicts between the Chinhan (Chinhan Dong-hoon) faction and the ruling party-government further deepened the image of poor communication, leading to a decline in approval ratings. In particular, the issue of First Lady Kim Geon-hee was the biggest risk that hampered President Yoon throughout his term. Inadequate responses to allegations of receiving luxury handbags came under scrutiny, and last September, political broker Myung Tae-gyun continued to expose election interference, marking the greatest crisis.

Governance was also a thorny path. Although he promoted deregulation and tax cuts under the banner of a 'free market economy,' these policies did not lead to clear results. Facing an unfavorable macroeconomic environment characterized by high inflation, high interest rates, and high exchange rates, the differentiated economic policy stance showed its limits. President Yoon launched the '4+1 reforms,' adding 'response to low birthrate' to the existing four major reforms in pensions, healthcare, education, and labor, but failed to build a national consensus. The pension reform bill, passed by the National Assembly through bipartisan agreement just before his impeachment, remains a notable achievement.

To tackle the serious low birthrate issue, he aimed to establish a Low Birthrate Response Planning Department and appointed a low birthrate chief in July last year, but lost momentum four months later when the martial law incident occurred, which remains a regrettable point. Appointing personnel criticized for bias to key positions and repeatedly refusing demands for personnel reshuffles also undermined the government's momentum.

Isolated both internally and externally, President Yoon took an extreme gamble by declaring martial law on December 3 last year, but this backfired. Despite opposition from many cabinet members during the martial law declaration process, he pushed forward with the declaration, choosing a path to his own downfall.