After making an effort to droop civilian rule in South Korea and impose martial regulation, President Yoon Suk Yeol stands dealing with impeachment. However that is not the one downfall the nation has witnessed. Earlier leaders have seen their rule descend into dysfunction and tumult.
Here is a recap of the collapse of earlier South Korean leaders:
Park Geun-hye – Impeached and jailed
In 2016, Park Geun-hye, South Korea’s first feminine president, was impeached by Parliament and later imprisoned. Park, the daughter of former dictator Park Chung-hee, had been in workplace since 2013 and had touted herself as incorruptible. Nonetheless, she confronted accusations of accepting or soliciting tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} from conglomerates like Samsung. Extra allegations included leaking categorized paperwork, blacklisting artists crucial of her insurance policies, and dismissing officers who opposed her.
Park’s impeachment was confirmed by the Constitutional Court docket in March 2017, resulting in her indictment and imprisonment. She was sentenced to twenty years in jail and hefty fines in 2021, however obtained a pardon from her successor, President Moon Jae-in, later that 12 months. Apparently, the present president, Yoon, performed a vital function in Park’s dismissal and imprisonment as a Seoul prosecutor on the time.
Lee Myung-bak – 15 years in jail
Lee Myung-bak, the conservative predecessor of Park Geun-hye, was sentenced to fifteen years in jail in October 2018 for corruption. He was discovered responsible of accepting bribes from Samsung in trade for favours to the corporate’s then-chairman, Lee Kun-hee, who had been convicted of tax evasion. Nonetheless, Lee Myung-bak’s jail time period was minimize quick when he obtained a pardon from President Yoon in December 2022.
Roh Moo-hyun – Died by suicide
Roh Moo-hyun, the previous President of South Korea from 2003 to 2008, tragically took his personal life in Might 2009 by leaping off a cliff. This devastating occasion occurred whereas he was beneath investigation for allegedly receiving bribes from a rich shoe producer, totaling $6 million, which was paid to his spouse and the husband of considered one of his nieces.
Chun Doo-hwan – “Butcher of Gwangju”
Chun Doo-hwan, the infamous army strongman identified for his brutal suppression of the Gwangju rebellion often known as the “Butcher of Gwangju”, stepped down in 1987 amidst huge protests. He handed over energy to his protégé Roh Tae-woo, with whom he had a decades-long relationship courting again to their time as classmates at army academy throughout the Korean Struggle.
Nonetheless, their legacy was marred by corruption and violence. In 1996, each Chun and Roh have been convicted of treason for his or her roles within the 1979 coup that introduced Chun to energy, in addition to the Gwangju rebellion and different offenses. Chun was initially sentenced to dying, however his sentence was commuted to life in jail. Roh obtained a 22.5-year jail sentence, which was later lowered to 17 years. Regardless of their convictions, each males have been granted amnesty in 1998 after serving solely two years in jail.
Park Chung-hee – Assassinated
Park Chung-hee, South Korea’s dictator, was assassinated on October 26, 1979, by Kim Jae-gyu, his personal spy chief, throughout a personal dinner.
This stunning occasion has been the topic of intense debate in South Korea, with many questioning whether or not the homicide was premeditated.
Within the aftermath of Park’s dying, military generals Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo seized the chance to plot a coup in December 1979, additional plunging South Korea into political turmoil.
Yun Po-sun: Overthrown in coup
In 1961, President Yun Po-sun was ousted in a army coup orchestrated by military officer Park Chung-hee. Though Yun was initially allowed to stay in workplace, Park successfully seized management of the federal government. Park later solidified his energy by profitable the 1963 election, in the end changing Yun as president.
Syngman Rhee – Pressured to resign
South Korea’s first president, Syngman Rhee, was pressured to resign in 1960 due to an enormous student-led rebellion. The protests have been sparked by Rhee’s try to increase his time period by way of rigged elections, which ignited widespread outrage and requires his elimination.
Following his resignation, Rhee was exiled to Hawaii, the place he spent the rest of his life till his dying in 1965.