In brief
South Korea is in a state of unrest as opposition leader Lee Jae-myung mobilizes a populist defense against President Yoon Suk Yeol’s recent martial law decree, urging citizens to gather at the National Assembly to vote for its nullification.
In a remarkable display of civic engagement, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung called on supporters to reject the martial law decree declared by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on December 3, 2024. Lee urged citizens and lawmakers to convene at the National Assembly in Seoul, warning that chances of military intervention to halt the vote were imminent, and imploring the public, “The people should defend this nation.”Lee's journey from humble beginnings as a sweatshop worker, underpinned by his parents' toil cleaning public toilets, has shaped his political ethos. At 60 years old, he has decades of experience as a labor lawyer championing workers’ rights before stepping into the political arena in the mid-2000s. His rise within the Democratic Party of Korea saw him serve as a mayor and later a provincial governor. In the 2020 elections, his party achieved a supermajority in the National Assembly, paving the way for Lee’s 2022 presidential campaign, where he advocated for popular social programs such as universal basic income and government-backed personal loans.As thousands gathered in support of Lee's call for resistance against the martial law, the events unfolded amidst rising tensions in South Korea's political landscape, with many watching closely to see whether democracy or authoritarianism would prevail in this critical moment.
