South Korea: general strike called against failed coup

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol looks to be stepping down after his failed coup attempt on Tuesday 2 December, despite surviving an impeachment vote thanks to his own party, the People’s Power Party (PPP) boycotting.

Business Korea reports that In a statement on Sunday 8 Dec, the Head of the PPP Han Dong-hoon and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo released a joint statement condemning the President’s actions, declaring that Yoon would step down, and trying to project an image of national stability. The opposition have claimed that the Prime Minister and head of the party do not have the authority to assume the president’s powers, so negotiations and uncertainty over democratic procedure will no doubt continue.

Yoon declared martial law on Tuesday 2 December, citing dangers to the nation and opposition politicians obstructing the government. The decision was reversed after 6 hours, and the President “apologised” in a rather meek fashion. He is being investigated on criminal charges of ‘rebellion’.

The day of the coup attempt was full of dramatic images. Perhaps the most “iconic” will be the photo of opposition Democratic Party spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong grasping the barrel of a soldier’s rifle as the parliament defied the army, locking themselves in against the president’s orders and voting to end martial law just 2.5 hours after it was declared.

No less significant was the declaration of an indefinite general strike from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions on Thursday 4 Dec, which they claimed would last until Yoon stepped down. The Metalworkers’ union announced an immediate strike for two hours per-shift as martial law was declared, in which they claim 70,000 workers took part by the 5th. The PPP Labour Minister initially denounced the strike and defended the President’s right to declare martial law, promising strict punishment for striking workers.

Public pressure was an enormous factor: over a million protested outside the parliament as martial law was overturned; this was preceded by five weeks of over 100,000 in the streets protesting the incredibly unpopular Yoon government.

The PPP were at no point steady base of support for Yoon: before the impeachment vote took place, the party’s head declared that South Korea would be in ‘great danger’ unless he was suspended.

Many are calling not just for resignation, but for imprisonment. If Yoon is imprisoned, he will be the third president to meet that fate out of the eight that have ruled since the end of military rule and the introduction of the current constitution in 1987.

The ability for parliament to vote to end the introduction of martial law is somewhat unusual, and it should come as no surprise that South Korea’s constitution has this ‘safety feature’ built in.

A military coup in 1979 by general Chun Doo-hwan began 8 years of military rule, ended by the June Democracy Movement forcing the government to allow a direct election for President in 1987.

Many of the militant students from the 70s and 80s now serve as members of parliament. It is no surprise that those figures would play a pivotal role in preventing another period of martial law descending upon the country.

The Financial Times reports that the army’s immediate response to Yoon’s instructions, at multiple levels of the military hierarchy, was to drag their feet: comply in case he keeps power, but don’t actually carry them out in case the coup fails. The former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun has been arrested. He was suspected to be heavily complicit in the plan to announce martial law.