The latest developments in South Korea have also made it clear that democracy is not a temporary account that can be happily reaped once it is established.
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South Korea has been saved from the tragedy of military rule declared by the President, the defense of democracy has been possible due to the awareness of the people and the activism of the political parties. The country's National Assembly unanimously voted against the emergency martial law (martial law) declared by President Eun Suk-yeol on Tuesday.
President Yun was forced to withdraw the "martial law" after the people's disobedience in the streets and the opposition of the parties in the parliament. Moreover, an impeachment motion has also been filed against the president for trying to hijack democracy. It will take a few days for all these developments to take place. But the immediate failure of President Yoon's attempt to suspend democracy is a matter of satisfaction for the democracy of Korea and the world as a whole.
This is not the first reference to the implementation of military rule and 'martial law' in South Korea. But many Koreans had forgotten the darkness of the previous 'martial law'. After the assassination of then-President Park Chung-hee in 1979, military rule and 'martial law' lasted for decades.
President Yun suddenly implemented "martial law" on Tuesday night to repeat the same regime. Which reminded the people of the harsh regime decades ago. Perhaps for that reason, the citizens immediately rose up in resistance. MPs rushed to parliament and voted against martial law. Not only the main opposition 'Democratic Party', but also President Yun's 'People's Power Party' stood against the President's move.
In South Korea, the president is elected by direct popular vote. Yun was elected president in 2022 with a margin of less than one percentage point over his nearest rival. But his unpopularity was proven when the President's party, the People's Power Party, lost in the last parliamentary election for the National Assembly, and he failed to get his preferred laws passed by the parliament. His name has been linked to several cases of irregularities.
He was in an uncomfortable position as president. In democratic governance, such regular exercises are conducted to test the ruler. However, the ruler has the option of overcoming the complications of governance through dialogue and consensus or leaving office. But Yun chose a different and authoritarian path.
When he told that the enemies inside and outside the country had increased, he explained that 'martial law' was his obligation, this is the common formula of all rulers of the world who have autocratic ambitions. If "martial law" was being implemented as he wanted to impose, many constitutional rights of citizens would be suspended. They could easily be arrested. On the other hand, the military officers got additional powers, they ruled. Uninterrupted activities of the press were curtailed. That crisis has been averted for now.
Any country's journey to democracy and the crisis it faces is a matter of common concern for democrats around the world. Therefore, the entire world is watching the developments in South Korea cautiously. The latest developments in South Korea have also made it clear that democracy is not a temporary account that can be happily reaped once it is established.
It requires continuous testing and protection. A ruler's ambitions can strike democracy at any time. At that time, the people and their representatives should be alert and active like in South Korea. The responsibility presented by the people there on the streets and the people's representatives in the parliament is an inspiration for the world. If this vigilance and activism had been delayed by just a few hours, Korea would have been on the road to totalitarianism today.
which would have required several years of struggle to bring it to the fore. The lesson is also for rulers around the world who aspire to absolute rule. The era of imposing rule under military guise is long gone. Trying to test the same system on the citizens of any country that has at least practiced democracy is only exposing one's own incompetence and incompetence. Yes, today's citizens are looking for an alternative to the government, but the only alternative to democracy for them is a stronger democracy.
