The Troubled History of South Korean Presidents

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing a second impeachment vote on Saturday following his controversial declaration of martial law last week. Yoon’s presidency has already been marked by significant challenges, and he is far from the first South Korean leader to experience scandal and downfall. Below is an overview of the tumultuous histories of previous South Korean presidents:

– 2016: Park Geun-hye Impeached and Jailed –
In December 2016, Park Geun-hye, who had been president since 2013, was impeached by the National Assembly. The impeachment was upheld by the Constitutional Court in March 2017, leading to her indictment and imprisonment. The daughter of former dictator Park Chung-hee, she was South Korea’s first female president and had projected an image of incorruptibility. However, she was accused of receiving or soliciting tens of millions of dollars in bribes from major conglomerates like Samsung. Additional allegations included sharing confidential documents, creating a blacklist of artists critical of her policies, and dismissing dissenting officials. Park was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2021, along with heavy fines. However, she was pardoned by her successor, Moon Jae-in, at the end of that year. At the time, current President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was a prosecutor, played a key role in Park’s impeachment and subsequent incarceration.

– Lee Myung-bak: 15 Years in Prison –
Lee Myung-bak, who served as president from 2008 to 2013, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2018 for corruption, including taking bribes from Samsung in exchange for favors to the company’s then-chairman, Lee Kun-hee. Lee had also been convicted of tax evasion. Despite the severity of the sentence, Lee was pardoned by President Yoon in December 2022.

– Roh Moo-hyun: Suicide –
Roh Moo-hyun, who served as president from 2003 to 2008, was a strong proponent of engagement with North Korea. In May 2009, Roh took his own life by jumping off a cliff. His suicide came after an investigation into payments made by a wealthy shoe manufacturer: one million dollars to his wife and five million to the husband of one of his nieces. Roh’s death marked the tragic end to a presidency that had seen significant reform but also controversy over corruption allegations.

– 1987: Autocrat Chun Doo-hwan Retires –
Military leader Chun Doo-hwan, known as the “Butcher of Gwangju” for his brutal crackdown on a 1980 pro-democracy uprising in the southwestern city, agreed to step down in 1987 under pressure from mass protests. Chun handed power over to his protégé Roh Tae-woo. Both men had been close for years, having met at military academy during the Korean War. In 1996, Chun and Roh were convicted of treason related to the 1979 coup that brought Chun to power, the Gwangju massacre, and other corruption-related offenses. Chun received a death sentence, which was commuted to life in prison, while Roh was sentenced to 22.5 years, later reduced to 17. After serving just two years, both men were granted amnesty in 1998.

– 1979: Dictator Park Chung-hee Assassinated –
Park Chung-hee, the father of Park Geun-hye and the leader of South Korea from 1961 to 1979, was assassinated by his own intelligence chief, Kim Jae-gyu, in October 1979. Park had ruled the country with an iron fist for 18 years, overseeing significant economic development but also a deeply repressive regime. His assassination marked the abrupt end of an era of autocratic rule in South Korea.