Led Many Lawmakers to Lift Martial Law Immediately After the Incident
Opposition Faces Candidate Replacement Turmoil with Kim Moonsoo and Han Ducksoo
Appeal Hearing Postponed Until After the Presidential Election
President Lee Jaemyung's victory in the 21st presidential election is closely linked to the unique circumstances of the early election held under the 12·3 Martial Law incident. Many voters resonated with President Lee's political justification, which was based on the slogans of 'judgment on insurrection' and 'restoration of democracy'.
The conservative bloc, which faced the impeachment of former President Park Geunhye followed by former President Yoon Sukyeol, was divided during this election process into pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Sukyeol) and anti-Yoon factions, as well as those supporting and opposing impeachment. This internal conflict, along with public disappointment over the failed candidate unification, further strengthened President Lee's dominance in the race.
The decisive moment that led to President Lee's victory was the 12·3 Martial Law incident. While Han Donghoon, the former leader of the People Power Party, was the first party leader to arrive at the National Assembly plenary chamber immediately after former President Yoon's martial law declaration, it was President Lee, then leader of the Democratic Party, who led the largest group of lawmakers. For this reason, some at the time assessed that the seeds of anti-authoritarianism and democratic activism sown by President Lee, then mayor of Seongnam, during the Gwanghwamun candlelight rallies in the 2016 Park Geunhye administration's crisis, fully blossomed with the lifting of martial law.
Even after narrowly losing to former President Yoon in the 20th presidential election, President Lee continued as Democratic Party leader and relentlessly pursued the Yoon Sukyeol administration's missteps for three years. Although he faced criticism for obstructionism at the time, President Lee actively used slogans such as 'overcoming insurrection', 'restoration of democracy', and 'the real Republic of Korea' after the martial law incident, keeping the call for regime judgment alive and securing a decisive victory from the party primary to the presidential election.
Amidst growing public sentiment for judging the People Power Party following the second presidential impeachment, the party's internal strife and collapse of the 'big tent' coalition also worked in President Lee's favor. Immediately after the martial law crisis, the People Power Party forced Han Donghoon, who had led the call for lifting martial law and for the impeachment and expulsion of former President Yoon, to resign, thereby trapping itself within the 'insurrection sympathizer' frame advanced by the Democratic Party and other progressive forces. During the subsequent impeachment trial of former President Yoon, the party continued to expose severe internal conflict, with the anti-impeachment faction prevailing but fiercely clashing with the pro-impeachment side.
The candidate unification turmoil also drew public disapproval. Presidential candidate Kim Moonsoo pledged to unify with former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo during the People Power Party primary, but the unification collapsed after Kim and Han clashed over the rules. The party leadership then attempted to forcibly replace Kim with Han as the candidate, but failed, disappointing some conservative and centrist voters. Notably, the People Power Party focused its campaign on 'anti-Lee Jaemyung' issues such as President Lee's family controversies and legal risks, but failed to show genuine reflection on the martial law and internal conflict. The party also failed to unify with Lee Junseok, the candidate from the Reform New Party, ultimately affecting President Lee's victory.
As the presidential race began, President Lee faced a crisis on the 1st of last month when the Supreme Court remanded his case for retrial with a guilty verdict. Paradoxically, however, this was perceived as judicial intervention in the election and as oppression of the opposition by the Yoon Sukyeol administration, which galvanized progressive voters. In particular, after the remand, the 7th Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court postponed President Lee's appeal hearing to the 18th of this month, after the election, partially alleviating his legal risks and giving momentum to his campaign.
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