Leaders | Seoul saved

Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea should resign, or be impeached

His coup attempt was foiled. But grave tests still remain for the country

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech to declare martial law in Seoul
Photograph: Reuters

As with many attempted coups, it started late at night. Around 10pm on December 3rd Yoon Suk Yeol, the conservative president of South Korea, suddenly declared martial law: banning all political parties and severely curbing media freedom. Soldiers were deployed to the parliament building and riot police lined the roads. But six hours later, after opposition politicians had barricaded themselves inside parliament and thousands of courageous protesters had taken to the streets, he abruptly reversed course.

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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “A coup attempt, roundly rejected ”

From the December 7th 2024 edition

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