Koreans refuse
Dec. 4th, 2024 04:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lokifanThe last twenty-four hours in South Korea have been wild and terrible, but inspiring. I think a lot of the details are still-to-be-confirmed, but in case you missed it:
Yoon Suk-yeol, a right-wing president who I’d personally been aware of only for 2 things - being a corruption prosecutor who then quickly faced his own corruption allegations once in office, and vowing to shut down the Gender Equality Ministry - abruptly declared martial law. The army chief-of-staff publically supported it.
The response was immediate. The leader of the Opposition livestreamed himself saying this was an attempted coup, and asking “my fellow citizens, please come to the National Assembly.” The leader of Yoon’s own party called it “wrong” and swore to “stop it with the people.” Protestors turned out in massive numbers, of course, despite freezing weather, and trade unions were immediately threatening a general strike. The big conservative newspaper published against it. All of that is illegal under martial law - it allows for total control of the media, and bans protest, and allows for arrest without a warrant. But mass disobedience is powerful.
MPs came to Parliament to vote the martial law down, and had to force their way past armed police; MP Lee Jae-myung scaled a wall to get in. Soldiers forced entry into Parliament, smashing windows, to stop the vote. That’s the part I personally find the scariest - MPs were doing what they’re constitutionally allowed to do, and the military tried to stop them.
Parliamentary aides fought soldiers back with fire extinguishers, and set up barricades. Crowds forced their way past soldiers at the entrance, getting MPs inside; it was a battle for control of Parliament, to get to the vote, and the people won. 190 MPs made it in. They voted down martial law unanimously, less than two hours after it was declared.
It’s terrifying, and Yoon 100% fits the mould of ‘authoritarian yet stupid’ strongman. Like, it’s easy to say it was never gonna work - and I tend to think that’s true - but a lot of stupid strongmen have succeeded before. I’m just so impressed and inspired by the response. Immediate and unified and intense; people put themselves on the line to stop a military coup, and they succeeded. Obviously the aftershocks are for real - economic effects, impeachment, all of that - but Koreans shut that shit down in record time.
I don't want to treat this as purely a just-so-story for the west, but it's a great model to have and follow, more proof that it can be done. The ideal of refusing to obey in advance. Especially seeing the way Hungary has gone, the way Poland was going, what almost happened in Brazil and what still might happen in America - there are so many ways democracy is under attack. It’s scary to see this attempted after 45 years of democracy, but I hope the way this is seen and remembered in both South Korea and worldwide is a proud moment when a leader tried to impose authoritarianism and the people just refused. A republic, and they kept it.
Yoon Suk-yeol, a right-wing president who I’d personally been aware of only for 2 things - being a corruption prosecutor who then quickly faced his own corruption allegations once in office, and vowing to shut down the Gender Equality Ministry - abruptly declared martial law. The army chief-of-staff publically supported it.
The response was immediate. The leader of the Opposition livestreamed himself saying this was an attempted coup, and asking “my fellow citizens, please come to the National Assembly.” The leader of Yoon’s own party called it “wrong” and swore to “stop it with the people.” Protestors turned out in massive numbers, of course, despite freezing weather, and trade unions were immediately threatening a general strike. The big conservative newspaper published against it. All of that is illegal under martial law - it allows for total control of the media, and bans protest, and allows for arrest without a warrant. But mass disobedience is powerful.
MPs came to Parliament to vote the martial law down, and had to force their way past armed police; MP Lee Jae-myung scaled a wall to get in. Soldiers forced entry into Parliament, smashing windows, to stop the vote. That’s the part I personally find the scariest - MPs were doing what they’re constitutionally allowed to do, and the military tried to stop them.
Parliamentary aides fought soldiers back with fire extinguishers, and set up barricades. Crowds forced their way past soldiers at the entrance, getting MPs inside; it was a battle for control of Parliament, to get to the vote, and the people won. 190 MPs made it in. They voted down martial law unanimously, less than two hours after it was declared.
It’s terrifying, and Yoon 100% fits the mould of ‘authoritarian yet stupid’ strongman. Like, it’s easy to say it was never gonna work - and I tend to think that’s true - but a lot of stupid strongmen have succeeded before. I’m just so impressed and inspired by the response. Immediate and unified and intense; people put themselves on the line to stop a military coup, and they succeeded. Obviously the aftershocks are for real - economic effects, impeachment, all of that - but Koreans shut that shit down in record time.
I don't want to treat this as purely a just-so-story for the west, but it's a great model to have and follow, more proof that it can be done. The ideal of refusing to obey in advance. Especially seeing the way Hungary has gone, the way Poland was going, what almost happened in Brazil and what still might happen in America - there are so many ways democracy is under attack. It’s scary to see this attempted after 45 years of democracy, but I hope the way this is seen and remembered in both South Korea and worldwide is a proud moment when a leader tried to impose authoritarianism and the people just refused. A republic, and they kept it.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-06 04:18 pm (UTC)Right??? Amazing.
beware upwardly-mobile social engineering of populations immediately adjacent to centres of political and financial power.
You mean the old boys' network stuff with his high school buddies? Cos oof, yeah, as we fellow sufferers of Eton Prime Ministers know, it's no way to run a country.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-06 04:26 pm (UTC)But, yes, too many powerful personal appointees shouldn't be given to any individual in any power structure.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-06 04:28 pm (UTC)