What South Korea’s short-lived martial law says about nation’s democracy and the autocratic tendencies of President Yoon

A man holds the South Korean flag outside the National Assembly in Seoul on Dec. 4, 2024, after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law. Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images

During a whirlwind few hours in South Korean politics, President Yoon Suk Yeol placed the country under martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, only to lift it just a short while later.

It marked the first time that a South Korean leader has imposed the emergency power since 1979. And although short-lived, the measure provoked concerns of the country backsliding into authoritarian rule.