South Korea in turmoil: “The President may be executed and his wife may be imprisoned for 10 years”… What will happen now in the neighboring country across the Sea of Japan?

Since the declaration of emergency martial law, South Korea has been in turmoil.

About 100 police officers and others stormed the president’s official residence. Standing in their way were about 200 people responsible for security at the official residence. Some of them carried guns and formed a “human shield” in a scrum to intimidate the police officers and block their way.

The January 3 riot over the execution of a detention warrant against South Korean President Yun Suk-yeol, 64, had the appearance of a civil war. The Korean government is trying to get Yun to cooperate with the government,” said Shin-il Byeon, editor-in-chief of Korea Report.

Mr. Yun is desperate. If he is detained, he will be imprisoned for civil unrest. The maximum penalty is death. In order to avoid being detained at all costs, Mr. Yun has been holed up in his official residence and is fighting a thorough battle.

Since Yun declared martial law last December, South Korea has been in turmoil. Yun has called opposition parties that oppose him “anti-national forces,” and has tried to wipe them out with martial law, believing that they are working for North Korea.

Notes from aides and other documents seized by the police reveal that Yun had an incredible plan. A representative of the ruling party, who was on the arrest list for civil disturbance, was shot dead by the martial law forces. They tried to make it out that the attack was committed by North Korea. They also killed a U.S. soldier in South Korea and tried to make it look like it was the work of North Korea. In fact, Yun’s side purchased more than 140 uniforms of the Korean People’s Army. If the plan had been carried out, it could have led to a second Korean War involving the U.S. military. It seems that Yun was serious about achieving unification of the peninsula through an all-out confrontation with North Korea,” said Hen.

Crisis also affects his beloved wife, Kim Keon-hee.

Yun’s impeachment trial will begin in earnest in mid-January, and after two to three months of hearings, a decision will be made on whether or not he should be removed from office, but depending on the outcome, it is likely to cause further chaos. Yoji Gomi, former Seoul bureau chief of the Tokyo Shimbun, explains.

If Yun is reinstated without being removed from office, there is a possibility that opposition lawmakers who are suspected of corruption will be put on trial one by one. He will put pressure on the judiciary and sentence them all to heavy prison sentences. A cycle of bloodletting and retaliation could ensue.”

During the removal proceedings, the South Korean economy risks hitting rock bottom as well. Gomi continues.

The dysfunctional South Korean government will not be able to respond to the new policies of President Trump, who will be inaugurated in the U.S. in January, and the economy will stagnate. Inflation and stock prices will rise. Conglomerates could go bankrupt, and people who have lost their jobs could be forced to live homeless.”

Mr. Yun is not the only one in crisis as he is facing a dismissal hearing. Kim Keon-hee, 52, Yun’s beloved wife, may also be convicted due to her husband’s disqualification.

At the time of their marriage in March 2012, Mr. Yun was only a public prosecutor and had about 2 million yen in his pocket. Mrs. Kim, on the other hand, ran an event planning company and had assets of 700 million yen. Mr. Yun was very much indebted to Mrs. Kim for taking care of him. Therefore, when allegations surfaced that Mrs. Kim had manipulated the stock price of an automobile sales company, and the opposition parties pursued the matter, Mr. Yun invoked his veto power to protect her. However, if she is removed from office, she will not be able to exercise her veto. Perhaps Mrs. Yun will be questioned by a special prosecutor. In South Korea, the charges against economic offenders are serious. They should receive sentences of 10 years or more in prison. It is unprecedented for the president and his wife to both be convicted.

Yun’s supporters and opponents have repeatedly held massive demonstrations, refusing to accept each other’s arguments. The division between the two Koreas is only deepening.

From the January 24/31, 2025 issue of FRIDAY