Yoon Suk Yeol

(Redirected from Yoon Suk-yeol)

Yoon Suk Yeol[a] (Korean윤석열; born 18 December 1960) is a South Korean politician and attorney who has been the 13th (20th presidency) president of South Korea since 2022. A member of the People Power Party, he served from 2019 to 2021 as the prosecutor general of South Korea under his presidential predecessor, Moon Jae-in. Yoon passed the bar exam on his 9th attempt.

Yoon Suk Yeol
윤석열
Official portrait, 2022
13th President of South Korea
Assumed office
10 May 2022
Prime Minister
Preceded byMoon Jae-in
Prosecutor General of South Korea
In office
25 July 2019 – 4 March 2021
PresidentMoon Jae-in
Preceded byMun Mu-il [ko]
Succeeded byKim Oh-soo
Personal details
Born (1960-12-18) 18 December 1960 (age 63)
Seoul, South Korea
Political partyPeople Power (2021–present)
Other political
affiliations
Independent (before 2021)
Spouse
(m. 2012)
Parent
ResidencePresidential residence
EducationSeoul National University (LLB, LLM)
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionLawyer
ReligionRoman Catholicism (Christian name: Ambrose)[1]
Signature
NicknameGyong (굥)[2]
Korean name
Hangul
윤석열
Hanja
尹錫悅
Revised RomanizationYun Seokyeol
McCune–ReischauerYun Sŏgyŏl
IPAKorean pronunciation: [jun.sʰʌ̹ŋ.ɲ̟ʌ̹ɭ / jun.sʰʌ̹.ɟʌ̹ɭ][a]

Born in Seoul, Yoon attended Seoul National University. In his capacity as chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office, he played a key role in convicting former presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak of abuse of power.[4][5][6] President Moon appointed Yoon prosecutor general of South Korea in 2019. During Yoon's leadership, the Supreme Prosecutor's Office conducted embattled investigations into Cho Kuk, an influential figure in the Moon administration, that led to Cho's resignation as minister of justice.[7][8] Yoon's clashes with the Moon administration until he resigned as prosecutor general in March 2021 led to his rise as a prominent presidential candidate among conservative voters ahead of the 2022 presidential election.

In June 2021, Yoon announced his candidacy in the 2022 South Korean presidential election. He joined the right-wing People Power Party (PPP) in July and won its nomination in November. Considered conservative and economically liberal, Yoon ran on a platform promising economic deregulation and measures such as abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. He narrowly defeated Democratic Party nominee Lee Jae-myung on 9 March 2022 and assumed office as president on 10 May. In doing so, he became the first person elected president to be born after the end to fighting in the Korean War. Yoon's foreign policy has been described as hawkish toward North Korea and friendlier to Japan than that of previous South Korean presidents.

As president, Yoon has received mostly low approval ratings. The 2022 Seoul Halloween crowd crush[9] and 2024 South Korean medical crisis occurred during his administration, with the latter still ongoing.[10] Critics have alleged that, under Yoon, South Korea has been experiencing democratic backsliding. He been accused of using government institutions and police to retaliate against critical journalists, overusing his veto power, and favoring far right political pundits and historical figures. He has made a number of anti-feminist statements. His party lost in a landslide in the 2024 parliamentary elections, and his power has since been evaluated as significantly weakened.

Early life and education

edit
 
Yoon in 1976 at age 16

Yoon was born in Bomun-dong, Seongbuk District, Seoul, in 1960[11] and raised in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun District.[12][13] His father, Yoon Ki-jung, was born in Nonsan[14] and was a professor emeritus of economics at Yonsei University and a full member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Korea.[12] His mother, Choi Seong-ja, was born in Gangneung and was a lecturer at Ewha Womans University before leaving the position after getting married.[12]

Yoon attended Daegwang Elementary School and Joongrang Middle School, transferring to Choongam Middle School after finishing eighth grade. After graduating from Choongam High School [ko],[15] he studied law at Seoul National University.[12][16][17] He is a colleague of Moon Kang-bae, a lawyer who described Yoon as an "extrovert and faithful" person.[12][failed verification] Shortly after the Gwangju Uprising, Yoon and his colleagues held a mock trial, where he acted as a prosecutor, demanding the death penalty for Chun Doo-hwan, the president of the republic.[12][16] Fearing imprisonment for his role in the mock trial, Yoon fled to Gangwon Province.[18][16]

Yoon was exempted in 1982 from national service due to anisometropia.[19] Yoon later added that he was unable to obtain a driving licence because of the condition.[19]

After passing the first part of the bar exam in his fourth year of university, Yoon continued to attempt the second part over the next nine years.[12][16] He eventually passed the bar in 1991,[12][15][16][17][13] in the same graduating class as Democratic Party assemblyman and minister of justice Park Beom-kye.[12]

Prosecutorial career

edit

Early career

edit

Yoon started his career at Daegu Public Prosecutor's Office in 1994.[12][15][16][17][13] He headed the Special Branch and Central Investigation Department, both of which investigate corruption-related cases.[12] In 1999, he arrested Assistant Commissioner Park Hui-won, who was corrupt[20][13] despite strong objections from bureaucrats in the Kim Dae-jung cabinet.[12]

In January 2002, Yoon worked briefly as a lawyer at Bae, Kim & Lee but left as he felt that he was not suited to the position.[13] Upon his return as a prosecutor, he prosecuted such pro-Roh Moo-hyun figures as Ahn Hee-jung and Kang Keum-won.[12] In 2006, he apprehended Chung Mong-koo for his complicity in a slush fund case at Hyundai Motor Company.[12][13] In 2008, he worked for the independent counsel team resolving the BBK incident related to President Lee Myung-bak.[12]

In 2013, Yoon led a special investigation team that looked into the National Intelligence Service (NIS)'s involvement in the 2012 NIS public opinion manipulation scandal. Yoon sought the prosecution of the former head of the NIS, Won Sei-hoon for violating the Public Official Election Act. He accused Justice Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn of influencing his investigation.[21] As a result, he was demoted from the Seoul prosecutors' office to the Daegu and Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office.[22][21]

Yoon later became head of investigations in the special prosecutor team of Park Young-soo, which investigated allegations pertaining to the 2016 Choi Soon-sil scandal involving Choi, Samsung vice-chairman Lee Jae-yong and then-president Park Geun-hye, which led to the impeachment of the president in December 2016.[22]

On 19 May 2017, the newly elected president Moon Jae-in appointed Yoon as chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.[17] The prosecution indicted two former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, three former NIS chiefs, former chief justice Yang Sung-tae and more than 100 other former officials and business executives under his tenure.[23] Yoon also led an investigation into accounting fraud at Samsung.[21]

Prosecutor general

edit
 
Yoon as Prosecutor General, in 2019

On 17 June 2019, Yoon was nominated as prosecutor general, replacing Moon Moo-il.[16][13] His nomination was welcomed by the ruling Democratic Party and the Party for Democracy and Peace, but was opposed by the Liberty Korea Party and the Bareunmirae Party.[24] The minor party Justice Party remained neutral.[24] On 16 July, he was officially appointed as the new prosecutor general[25] and started his term nine days later.[26] President Moon ordered him to be neutral, adding that any kind of corruption must be strictly investigated though it is related to the government.[26]

During Yoon's leadership, the Supreme Prosecutor's Office launched investigations against Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, who was involved in various scandals.[27] His decision to investigate Cho was welcomed by the conservative opposition but was condemned by the Democratic Party and its supporters.[27][28][29]

After Choo Mi-ae was appointed the new minister of justice, she took an action against several prosecutors close to Yoon.[30][31] Choo attributed her decision to Yoon's failure to submit a reorganization plan for his department, which she requested, but this was seen as retaliation by the Blue House for Cho Kuk's prosecution.[32]

In April 2020, Democratic Party lawmakers again attacked Yoon and called on him to resign as the prosecution started investigations into election law violation cases involving both ruling and opposition politicians and also suspected election rigging of the Ulsan mayoral race for Mayor Song Cheol-ho in 2018 by senior secretaries at the Blue House.[33][34][35]

Suspension and reinstatement

edit

On 24 November 2020, Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae suspended Yoon from his position, citing alleged ethical violations, abuse of power, and interference into investigations of his associates and family members.[36] Yoon filed an injunction against the minister's suspension order, which was approved by the Seoul Administrative Court on 1 December, temporarily halting the suspension.[37][38] On 16 December, the Ministry of Justice then imposed a two-month suspension on Yoon, accepting four of six major charges for disciplinary action. The decision was subsequently approved by President Moon.[39] However, on 24 December, following an injunction filed at the Seoul Administrative Court, the suspension was overturned as the court accepted Yoon's claim that the process to suspend him was unfair.[40]

2022 presidential election

edit

Yoon had been considered a potential presidential candidate for the 2022 presidential election since the aftermath of the Cho Kuk controversies, appearing as a significant candidate in general election opinion polls since at least January 2020.[41][42] In a January 2021 poll including all possible presidential candidates, Yoon led as the most favored with 30.4 percent of the vote, more than the individual supports for the ruling Democratic Party frontrunners Lee Jae-myung and Lee Nak-yon.[43]

On 4 March 2021, Yoon tendered his resignation as the prosecutor-general, which was accepted by President Moon.[44] On 29 June 2021, Yoon officially announced his candidacy in the 2022 presidential election.[45] On 12 July, he registered with the National Election Commission as an independent candidate.[46]

 
Yoon Suk Yeol leaving the People Power Party (PPP) headquarters shortly after joining the party on 30 July 2021

On 30 July 2021, Yoon officially joined the conservative People Power Party, which was the main opposition party in South Korea.[46] Prior to this Yoon had been a political independent, although his popular support came primarily from conservatives. Yoon was welcomed into the PPP by Choi Jae-hyung, a fellow 2022 presidential candidate, in a small public ceremony at the PPP headquarters located in Yeouido, Seoul. Choi was the former head of the Board of Audit and Inspection and had also just recently joined the PPP, officially having become a member on 15 July. Yoon's welcoming ceremony into the People Power Party notably did not include recently elected party leader Lee Jun-seok, who had been outside of Seoul at the time.[46]

During the primary election period, Yoon came under criticism for several perceived gaffes and controversial statements. In July, Yoon advocated for a 120-hour work week while critiquing President Moon's policy of the 52-hour maximum work week.[47] Yoon advocated deregulating food safety standards because, in his opinion, "poor people should be allowed to eat substandard food for lower prices", citing economist Milton Friedman's 1980 book Free to Choose: A Personal Statement as the inspiration for the idea.[48][49] In August, Yoon stated that South Korea's recent feminist movement was a significant contributing factor to the issue of the nation's low birth rates.[48] Later that same week, Yoon claimed during an interview with Busan Ilbo that there was "basically no radiation leak" from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster because "the reactors themselves didn't collapse."[50]

On 2 September 2021, news website Newsverse reported that during his time as prosecutor general, Yoon had allegedly ordered a senior prosecutor Son Jun-sung and politician Kim Woong to file politically motivated criminal complaints against Democratic Party politicians ahead of the 2020 legislative elections in an attempt to sway the elections.[51][52] In response to the allegations, an internal investigatory probe was launched by the Supreme Prosecutor's Office, and an investigation was launched by the recently formed Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO).[51][53] Yoon denied the allegations and reported informant Cho Sung-eun and Director of the National Intellience Service Park Jie-won to the CIO.[52]

In early September, support for PPP primary contender Hong Joon-pyo, who had been the nominee for PPP predecessor Liberty Korea Party in the 2017 presidential election, rose sharply in polls, which made Hong the most significant contender to Yoon since the beginning of the campaign cycle. A 6 September poll of contenders across all parties showed support for Hong at 13.6%, up from 4.2% a week earlier, behind Yoon who had support at 26.4%.[54]

 
Yoon with then-Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Chung Jin-suk in November 2021

During primary debates amongst PPP presidential candidates, Yoon appeared to have the hanja character for "king" written on his left palm, a shamanist talisman for good luck.[55][56][57] Yoon's primary opponents, including Hong Joon-pyo and Yoo Seong-min, criticized Yoon for using shamanist practices and made comparisons to the Choi Soon-sil scandal.[56] In response to the criticism, Yoon stated that "a supporter drew that as a message of support, encouraging me to be confident like a 'king' during the debate", and that he had forgotten to wash the mark off.[58]

In October 2021, Yoon made complimentary remarks about former authoritarian military dictator of South Korea Chun Doo-hwan. The remarks came during a meeting with People Power Party officials in Busan, during which Yoon said that "many people still consider Chun as having done well in politics, except the military coup and the Gwangju Uprising", later adding that he believed even people in Honam, the geographic area including Gwangju, felt the same way.[59] Chun Doo-hwan, a widely maligned figure in South Korea, was responsible for numerous human rights abuses, including the torture and killings of innocent civilians. Yoon apologized for these remarks.[60] However, news media and members of the Democratic Party speculated that a picture he posted on Instagram and later deleted indicated that the apology was insincere. The photo was of him feeding an apple to his dog, where the Korean words for "apple" and "apology" (사과) are homonyms. Yoon later denied the alleged symbolism of the photo.[61] Yoon again apologized for his remarks when he visited the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju on 10 November, although his visit was met by protesters.[62][63]

On 5 November 2021, Yoon officially won the nomination of the People Power Party for the 2022 presidential election.[64][65] The win came after Yoon fought off a surge in support for rival candidate Hong Joon-pyo in the latter weeks of the primary. The nomination resulted from a four-day period of voting by party members and the general public. Yoon Suk Yeol won 47.85% of the votes, a total of 347,963 votes, and of the remaining candidates Hong Joon-pyo won 41.50% of the votes, Yoo Seong-min won 7.47% of the votes, and Won Hee-ryong won 3.17% of the votes.[66]

On 7 November 2021, Yoon stated that if elected president he would pardon former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, both of whom were serving lengthy prison sentences for corruption (Park Geun-hye was later pardoned by President Moon Jae-in on 24 December of that same year).[67][68]

Yoon narrowly won the 2022 presidential election that took place on 9 March 2022. Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung conceded defeat in the early hours of the following day.[69][70][71] Yoon won 48.56% of the votes, while Lee Jae-Myung won 47.83% of the vote.[72] Yoon's presidential election victory was by the closest margin in South Korean history.[73]

Presidency (2022–present)

edit

Relocation of presidential office

edit
 
Yoon takes the presidential oath of office outside the National Assembly, 10 May 2022

On 20 March 2022, he announced that he would establish his presidential office in the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan District, Seoul, instead of the Blue House, which opened to the public as a park on 10 May 2022.[74][75] He would take office that day.[75] This marked the end of the Blue House as the official presidential office and residence after 74 years.

Domestic policy

edit

Economic policy

edit

In 2023, Yoon attempted to raise South Korea's maximum weekly working hours from 52 to 69. However, widespread backlash, especially from the youth, led him to order government agencies to reconsider the plan.[76]

The minimum wage for 2025 was set at 10,030 won per hour. Some labor representatives walked out in protest, saying the increase rate was too low, but most management and public interest representatives voted to adopt the minimum wage at 10,030 won.[77]

Gender equality policy

edit

Yoon has been accused of exploiting anti-feminist sentiment for political gain.[78] Yoon has claimed that structural sexism no longer exists in South Korea.[79] He entered office with a pledge to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.[80][81] Political conflict related to issues of gender was intense in South Korea in 2022. He announced that the new government would not address gender as a collective issue, but rather focus on and respond to specific individual issues.[80]

As of May 2022, there were only three women among the State Councilors of the Yoon Suk Yeol government and only two women among the vice-ministerial level officials. This was criticized as a lack of women's representation in the government.[82] In response to these criticisms, Yoon appointed Park Soon-ae as the Minister of Education and Kim Seung-hee as the Minister of Welfare, increasing the ratio of female-to-male ministers in the cabinet to 30%.[83] However, Park Soon-ae resigned on 5 August, just 34 days into her tenure; Yoon's approval rating had fallen from 30% to 24%, largely due to public backlash against Park's school reform plans.[84]

2022 police bureau proposal

edit

In late July 2022, Yoon proposed the creation of a "police bureau", in order to ensure greater government oversight of the police force. In response, several police officers protested, claiming the measure was a dictatorial measure to compromise the political neutrality of the police.[85]

In response to the protests, Lee Sang-min, Yoon's Interior Minister, compared them to the 1979 Coup d'état of December Twelfth, though he later walked back the remarks. Yoon himself also criticized the protests, saying, "Like many, I am also deeply concerned about the collective protest of the police chiefs," and calling it a "serious breach" of police discipline.[85]

Following the protests, the presidential office threatened to punish police officers. Additional remarks by Yoon Hee-keun, President Yoon's choice as Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, suggesting that police should focus on wages rather than the establishment of a police bureau, further inflamed tensions.[86]

2022 Seoul crowd crush

edit

On 29 October 2022, at least 158 people were crushed to death when a crowd surged in an alleyway during Halloween festivities in Seoul's Itaewon district. Yoon declared a state of official national mourning.[87]

Healthcare reform

edit

On February 6, 2024, Yoon announced that the enrollment quota for medical students would be increased from 3,058 to 5,058 students per academic year from 2025 onward.[88] The quota was last fixed in 2006.[88] The announcement was met with opposition from the medical community, with Korea Medical Association and Korea Intern Resident Association leading a strike by intern and resident doctors since February 20, 2024.[89] They argued that the planned increase would not resolve the issues of inadequate manpower in rural areas but would increase the inequality of medical care between rural and urban areas.[90]

Defeat of the PPP in the 2024 parliamentary elections

edit

The opposition's landslide victory in the 2024 parliamentary elections put Yoon in an even weaker position. The PPP obtained 108 seats, 36% of the National Assembly; the main opposition party (DPK) won 175 seats in total. The remaining 17 seats are held by the other members of the 22nd Assembly.[91]

Some speak of him as a "lame duck" following this major defeat [citation needed]. He is the first president to see an assembly unfavorable to him during a whole presidency and especially an opposition that is growing in relation to the first part of the mandate. The Chairman of the PPP Emergency Committee; Han Dong-hoon[92] resigned following the defeat and several other major government figures presented their resignation, including Yoon's Prime Minister Han Duk-soo.[93]

Yoon boycotted the opening of the inaugural session of the new National Assembly on 2 September, making him the first South Korean leader not to attend the ceremony since the restoration of democracy in 1988. His office said that he did not attend saying that the chamber "overissues demands for special prosecutor investigations and impeachments".[94]

MBC lawsuit

edit
 
MBC CI

Yoon's People Power Party sued four senior executives of local broadcaster Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, including MBC TV head Park Sung-je, on grounds of defamation after news outlets initially reported that he insulted the US Congress.[95][96] On 21 September 2022, after chatting with US President Joe Biden outside the seventh Global Fund meeting in New York City, Yoon was filmed telling his aides and top diplomats, "Wouldn't [inaudible] lose face if these saekki do not pass it in the legislature?"[97] Although the audio is hard to discern, MBC, who broke the story on air, determined in its subtitles that he said "Biden" in an apparent reference to the latter's bid to increase the American contribution to the Global Fund by $6 billion, an act that would require congressional approval. Yoon's office denies that he was talking about Biden or the US Congress. Instead, it claims that he was expressing concern that his country's opposition-controlled parliament would reject his plans for a $100 million contribution to the same fund, and his press secretary Kim Eun-hye suggested that the word he uttered was not "Biden", but "nallimyeon", a similar-sounding word that means "to blow or waste".[98] The video swiftly went viral, having been viewed repeatedly by millions. The controversy has also brought press freedom in South Korea to the public eye over the PPP's civil conduct involving MBC,[99] with some press freedom groups, including the International Federation of Journalists,[100] criticizing the lawsuit as politically motivated. A poll of 1,002 adult Koreans found his approval rating falling to 27.7 percent, a 3.7 percent drop from three weeks before, and that the majority (61.2 percent) believed Yoon said "Biden" compared to the 26.9 percent who thought he said "nallimyeon", and another poll of 1,000 adult Koreans found an even greater majority (70.8 percent) who said that he should directly apologize for his profanity versus the 27.9 percent who said he did not need to apologize.[101] The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs sued MBC 'to restore trust in diplomacy'. This has been likened to the oppression of journalists by the Lee Myung-bak government in the past.[102]

R&D budget cut

edit

The decision by the Yoon administration to reduce South Korea's research and development (R&D) budget by 15% for 2024 compared to the previous year has caused significant uproar among researchers. There are growing concerns that this cutback might undermine South Korea's competitiveness in the global technology sector.[103]

The move faced strong opposition, highlighted by an event at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). A student protested the budget reduction during a graduation ceremony while President Yoon Suk-yeol was giving his speech. But he was immediately restrained by bodyguards who were disguised as students.[103]

Soldier deaths

edit

Yoon was accused of covering up for senior military officials over the deaths of one South Korean marine in 2023 and two more soldiers in 2024 by blocking bills seeking to investigate the matter. His exercise of veto power, one of the highest among South Korean presidents, led to increased confrontation with the opposition in the parliament.[104][105][106]

Allegations of favoring the New Right

edit

Yoon has appointed people affiliated with the controversial South Korean New Right movement to prominent positions in government and public life. According to a report by Kyunghyang Shinmun, at least 21 New Right figures were holding 25 key positions in eight public institutions and committees related to Korean history under the Yoon's administration.[107]

The New Right reportedly has more favorable views of the 1910–1945 Japanese colonial period. In 2024, Yoon's administration appointed people described as New Right members to the positions of director and chairman of the Independence Hall of Korea: an organization that commemorates the liberation of Korea from Japanese colonial rule. The Korea Liberation Association, an organization commemorating Korean independence, protested these decisions.[108][109] In November 2024, an event by the Korea Liberation Association was scheduled to be held at Seoul National Cemetery, but the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs blocked the event from being held. Critics alleged that the Yoon administration was retaliating against the association for criticising the administration's New Right tendencies.[110]

First lady political scandal

edit

Yoon vetoed a special presecutor bill on investigating allegations of corruption related to himself and his wife Kim Keon-hee. He has received criticism for this.[111] Professors from various universities in South Korea have advocated for his resignation.[112][113]

Allegations of democratic backsliding and media suppression

edit

In 2024, the Swedish V-Dem Institute reported that, under Yoon's administration, South Korea was dropping in their liberal democracy index (LDI). They described Yoon as "South Korea's Donald Trump".[114] They wrote of Yoon:[115]

[The 2021 elections] brought the right-wing and conservative Yoon Suk-yeol to power. His recent professional history already showed abuse of power. The change of president set South Korea back on a downward slope. President Yoon Suk-yeol’s coercive measures to punish members of the former Moon administration, along with attacks on gender equality, set South Korea to decrease its LDI levels, forming a bell-turn. Although South Korea remains a liberal democracy at the end of 2023, Moon’s efforts have been virtually neutralized.

South Korea's ranking in the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders dropped from 47th place to 62nd place from 2023 to May 2024. This was reportedly influenced by the Yoon administration's excessive use of sanctions against media outlets and journalists that were critical of the government, such as MBC.[116] A hot mic incident reported on by an MBC journalist resulted in a police raid on the journalist's home and a retaliatory banning of MBC from access to Yoon. Other similar raids on the homes of journalists have been conducted, with the justification of criminal defamation against Yoon. Outlets that have aligned with Yoon have reportedly received preferential treatment.[81]

An MBC report alleged that Yoon was influencing investigations conducted by the police. Critics alleged that the police, under Yoon, were quick to investigate labour unions and the media, but cautious when investigating issues related to Yoon. For example, an order related to First Lady Kim Keon-hee that was issued by the National Assembly was blocked by the police.[117] In November 2024, critics alleged that police, under orders of the Yoon administration, were being used to suppress anti-government protests. According to MBC, police unsuccessfully applied for four arrest warrants for protestors.[118] Some argued that these actions contradicted a 2021 Supreme Court of Korea ruling.[119]

The frequency of government officials not attending National Assembly sessions has increased under Yoon's administration. Over a period of 1 year and 4 months from May 2022 to August 2023, there were 29 non-attendances by heads of government departments, vice ministers, and heads of affiliated organisations.[120] President Yoon has been heavily criticised for overusing the right to veto bills.[121]

Public approval

edit
 
LOESS curve of the opinion polling.

Less than three months into his presidency, Yoon's approval rating dropped to less than 30 percent amidst the 2021–2023 inflation, a controversial education policy rollout (including a proposal to lower the starting elementary school age from six to five), controversies over nepotism in personnel appointments, the police bureau proposal, and conflicts within Yoon's People Power Party.[122][123] His popularity fell further to 19% in August.[124] In December, Yoon's approval rating rose back to above 40% for the first time in five months.[125] By April 2023, this has dropped back to 30%, largely due to widespread disapproval of Yoon's Japanese policy.[126] In May 2024, Yoon recorded the lowest approval rating since he took office at a rate of 21%, with his economic and foreign policy, as well as his lack of communication being cited as the main reasons for the low approval rating.[127] In June and July 2024, over a million people signed a petition calling for Yoon to be impeached.[106][128] In November 2024, over 3,000 professors and researchers at various universities signed a declaration asking Yoon to resign. One interviewee speculated that the declaration was the largest such action from academics since protests during the Park Geun-hye administration.[129]

Foreign relations

edit
 
Yoon (at the fifth) at the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

In December 2022, Yoon administration announced the Indo-Pacific Strategy, a comprehensive strategy that encompasses the economic and security spheres of Indo-Pacific countries. "We (South Korea) will work towers a regional order that enables a difference set of countries to cooperate and procedures together."[130] On July 25, 2023, he visited Ukraine after visiting Lithuania and Poland for the NATO summit. He visited Bucha and Irpin, cities near the capital city of Kyiv.[131] He also held the 2023 South Korea-Pacific Islands Summit and the 2024 South Korea-Africa Summit for the first time, and is also promoting the Korea-Central Asia Summit.[132]

Yoon has visited the United States, and has considered sending weapons to Ukraine following the invasion by Russia.[133]

 
Yoon at the seventh Global Fund meeting in New York City.

As of December 2023, during his tenure so far, Yoon has made trips to twenty-six countries. He has met with fellow leaders, such as during the NATO Summit Madrid 2022, APEC Summit, G20 and G7.[134]

Yoon later attended the NATO summit in Lithuania the following year.[135] He also attended the UN General Assembly and Global Fund's Seventh Replenishment Conference in New York City; he met with US President Joe Biden.[136]

 
President Yoon attended the G7 in May 2023.

Although South Korea is not a member of the G7, it is being considered as a potential next member if the G7 expands. And the government has been promoting the G7 Plus initiative.[137] At the G7 summit in May 2023, Yoon met with the leaders of the Quad nations. He called for addressing regional challenges and providing infrastructure and development assistance. In a speech to G7 members, Yoon stressed South Korea's continued commitment to maintaining the international rule of law and the need to protect Ukraine's freedom and peace.[138]

United States

edit
 
Yoon with President Biden in the Oval Office, April 2023.

During US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to South Korea, part of a larger tour of Asia, on 4 August 2022, Yoon snubbed a meeting with her, stating that he wanted to enjoy his vacation.[139][140][141]

On 25 April 2023, Yoon and First Lady Kim Keon-hee arrived in Washington D.C., to mark 70 years of the alliance between the Republic of Korea and the United States.[142] "We know that no matter where you sit, you stand with Korea," Yoon Suk Yeol said in a speech to the U.S. Congress, adding that the South Korea-U.S. relationship is "stronger than ever."[143]

According to a Yonhap article published on November 7, 2024, Yoon had a twelve minute phone call with the 45th president and the 47th president elect of the U.S., Donald Trump, where they talked about trilateral cooperation with the US and Japan and the North Korean situation involving Ukraine.[144]

Despite U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's declaration that he will end the war in Ukraine, one analyst argued that president Yoon is making a mistake by leaving open the possibility of providing defence weapons to Ukraine. There is an opinion that, if the United States completely stops supporting Ukraine, South Korea could be left alone in the war in Ukraine with Russia as its enemy. In addition, there is an opinion that if Donald Trump sets out to improve relations with North Korea, the South Korean government's position could be extremely limited in a situation where inter-Korea relations have weakened to the point where North Korea declared two hostile countries.[145]

Japan

edit
 
Yoon met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan on 16 March 2023

Yoon has been accused of having a pro-Japanese stance on historical issues and colonialism by liberals and some conservative[146][147] politicians in South Korea. Yoon Suk Yeol government has a close relationship with the "far-right"[148] Japanophilic New Right movement.[149][150][151]

Yoon Suk Yeol's government does not seek direct compensation or apology from the Japanese government and companies for victims of forced labor, a war crime committed by the Empire of Japan government and Japanese companies during World War II, but instead expresses its stance to receive voluntary donations from South Korean companies through the foundation as a solution to the 2018 South Korean Supreme Court ruling, which demanded compensation from companies and the Japanese government for past war crimes against victims who were forcibly recruited by the Japanese Empire during World War II. The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) criticized this, saying, "It tramples on the victims and represents Japan's companies interests".[152] The Justice Party (JP) also joined DPK in 'declarations of the state of affairs' (시국선언) to criticize the Yoon Suk Yeol government.[153] As of March 2023, 11 of the 15 surviving victims opposed the Yoon Suk Yeol government's solution and demanded direct compensation from the Japanese government and companies.[154]

Yoon Suk Yeol's remarks at a commemorative event related to the Samiljeol [ko] (3.1 절 or 삼일절), 1 March 2023 caused a great controversy in South Korea. Samiljeol is a national holiday that celebrates Koreans' spirit of resistance to regain their identity from colonial Japan. Yoon Suk Yeol said, "Korea lost its national sovereignty and suffered because it was not properly prepared for historical changes in the world at the time, and we should reflect on this past." The remarks drew criticism from the opposition parties in the South Korea as "Chinil" (친일),[155] "colonialist historical perspective" (식민사관),[156] and "pro-Japanese highly submissive diplomacy" (친일 굴종외교), and he was compared to Lee Wan-yong.[157] The DPK and the JP also strongly criticized his remarks.[158]

 
Fumio Kishida with Yoon in Seoul, May 2023

On 16 March 2023 Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a summit with Yoon in Tokyo to settle war time labor disputes, among other issues.[159][160] Yoon also met with Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) leader Kenta Izumi, who discussed several bilateral disputes between the countries with Yoon including the Statue of Peace, which Izumi asked Yoon to remove.[161]

On 7 May 2023, Prime Minister Kishida visited Seoul in a historic trip, to further deepen ties.[162] Yoon emphasized that historical issues had to be "completely settled".[163] Kishida also expressed sympathy to Korean victims of colonial Japan.[164] However, Kishida was criticized by many South Korean media because he did not "apologize" for forced labor victims during World War II and did not mention Japan's responsibility for war crimes.[165][166] Some South Korean politicians also expressed strong dissatisfaction that Kishida did not apologize.[167]

Yoon and Kishida met with United States President Joe Biden on 18 August 2023 at Camp David in the United States. The three announced the Camp David Principles, a set of strategies to counter the influence of China, North Korea, and Russia as well as limit the risk of economic disruptions in the future.[168]

Some sources criticized the compromise between the Japanese LDP and Yoon Suk Yeol governments to list Sado mine as a World Heritage Site, which distorted history by removing direct references to "forced labor" by Koreans.[169][170]

Ukraine

edit

In a Reuters interview on 19 April 2023, President Yoon Suk Yeol hinted at supplying lethal aid to Ukraine, stating, "If there is a situation the international community cannot condone, such as any large-scale attack on civilians, massacre or serious violation of the laws of war, it might be difficult for us to insist only on humanitarian or financial support." Previously, South Korea had only provided humanitarian and economic aid to Ukraine. Yoon linked the struggle in Ukraine to the Korean War when the international community supported South Korea. He added, "I believe there won't be limitations to the extent of the support to defend and restore a country that's been illegally invaded both under international and domestic law. However, considering our relationship with the parties engaged in the war and developments in the battlefield, we will take the most appropriate measures."

In response, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev suggested that Russia could supply North Korea on a "...quid pro quo" basis.[171][172] The Democratic Party of Korea,[173] Justice Party,[174][175] and Progressive Party,[176] along with other liberal and progressive parties, opposed the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's policy toward Ukraine, fearing that his pro-Ukraine diplomacy would lead to Russia supporting North Korea's weapons and South Korean companies being penalized by Russia's economic sanctions.[173][174]

In July 2023, Yoon visited Ukraine after visiting Lithuania and Poland for the NATO summit. He visited Bucha and Irpin.[177] In August 2023, Yoon announced that South Korea would provide $394 million in financial aid to Ukraine for 2024, an eightfold increase from 2023.[178]

Africa

edit

In his welcoming speech to the "Africa Night" held in Seoul in November 2022, President Yoon said, "Africa is a land of new opportunity," indicating his intention to strengthen cooperation with Africa. The event was attended by African ambassadors and nominees from 31 countries, and President William Ruto of Kenya.[179]

Yoon also held summit with the leaders of the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Gabon and Kenya in 2022. To accelerate the push for a South Korea-Africa FTA, Yoon said he will invite African leaders to a special summit in South Korea in 2024. "The existing ministerial-level Korea-Africa Forum will be upgraded to the head of state," he added.[180]

North Korea

edit

In November 2023, Yoon's government suspended South Korea's participation in the Comprehensive Agreement Pact – a pact aimed at lowering tensions between South and North Korea – after North Korea launched a satellite into space.[181]

Since President Yoon's inauguration in 2022, Yoon's administration has continued to make strong statements and take hard-line policies against North Korea. Therefore, there is criticism directed at both the regime of South Korea and the regime of North Korea that the Korean Peninsula is facing the greatest war crisis since the Korean War.[182]

Queen Elizabeth II's funeral

edit

While in London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, Yoon's opponents accused him of disrespect when he missed the chance to view the queen's coffin lying in state – which he blamed on traffic.[95]

Political positions

edit
 
Yoon Suk Yeol (left) with PPP party leader Lee Jun-seok (right)

Yoon identifies himself as "conservative".[183] Chung Doo-un, a former conservative member of parliament, has considered Yoon a conservative.[184] Political commentator Chin Jung-kwon called his political inclination "libertarianism" (자유지상주의).[185][186] He has also been described as a social conservative.[187] His critical attitude toward feminism, nationalist nature, and hostile attitude toward the opposition and the liberal media, have led the media and experts to call him and his policies "K-Trumpism" (한국판 트럼프 or K-트럼프) and "far-right" (극우), allegations denied by him and his supporters.[188][189][190]

Economics

edit

Yoon opposes economic interventionism by the government and is generally regarded as pro-business,[76] and as a fiscal conservative.[191] He has cited economist Milton Friedman and Friedman's 1980 book Free to Choose: A Personal Statement as a major influence on his belief in economic liberalism.[192] According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Yoon will attempt to reduce dependence on China and promote supply chain resilience.[193]

Military

edit

Yoon has expressed active support for the possibility of South Korea having indigenous nuclear weapons. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace referred to his policy as "nuclear populism". Some research shows that nationalist attitudes and anti-American sentiment are prevalent among supporters of an indigenous nuclear arsenal.[194]

On 22 September 2021, Yoon stated that he will ask that the United States redeploy tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea if there is a threat from North Korea.[195] Nuclear weapons have not been deployed by the US in South Korea since the early 1990s, after an agreement with Russia and in an effort to ease tensions between North and South Korea.[196] Speaking for the United States, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Japan and Korea Mark Lambert rejected Yoon's call for the re-nuclearization of South Korea and said the proposal was against US policy.[196]

On 12 November 2021, Yoon indicated that he would be open to more US THAAD missile deployments in South Korea.[197]

Electoral history

edit
2022 South Korean presidential election People Power Primary
Party Candidate Votes %
People Power Yoon Suk Yeol 347,963 47.85
People Power Hong Jun-pyo 301,786 41.50
People Power Yoo Seong-min 54,304 7.47
People Power Won Hee-ryong 23,085 3.17
Total votes 727,138 100.00
2022 South Korean presidential election
Party Candidate Votes %
People Power Yoon Suk Yeol 16,394,815 48.56
Democratic Lee Jae-myung 16,147,738 47.83
Justice Sim Sang-jung 803,358 2.38
National Revolutionary Huh Kyung-young 281,481 0.83
Progressive Kim Jae-yeon 37,366 0.11
Our Republican Cho Won-jin 25,972 0.08
Basic Income Oh Jun-ho 18,105 0.05
Korean Wave Alliance Kim Min-chan 17,305 0.05
Korean Unification Lee Gyeong-hee 11,708 0.03
Labor Lee Baek-yun 9,176 0.03
New Liberal Democratic Union Kim Gyeong-jae 8,317 0.02
Saenuri Ok Un-ho 4,970 0.01
Total votes 33,760,311 100.00
People Power gain from Democratic

Personal life

edit

President Yoon has been married to Kim Keon-hee since 2012. His wife said that she prefers the term first spouse instead of the first lady.[198]

Kim is the president of Covana Contents, a company that focuses on art exhibitions.[199] Kim has faced an investigation that alleged she had taken 'kickbacks' for hosting art exhibitions, in addition to reports that circulated in the South Korean media that she inflated her resume with connections to New York University Stern School of Business. She responded by offering a public apology.[198]

Yoon is the fourth South Korean president who is a Catholic, after Moon Jae-in, Roh Moo-hyun (a lapsed Catholic), Kim Dae-jung, and Roh Tae-woo. He was baptized with the Christian name "Ambrose".[11]

Honours

edit

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ a b According to regular Korean reading rules, Yoon's given name should be pronounced 서결 Seogyeol /sʌ.gjʌl/, but he prefers to pronounce his name as 성녈 Seongnyeol /sʌŋ.njʌl/, as if it was written 석렬 Seogryeol or 석녈 Seognyeol.[3]

References

edit
  1. ^ 윤석열 후보자 정보 대선2022. JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  2. ^ 정남구 (8 January 2023). "'윤'과 '굥'…서울교통'굥'사 소동 [유레카]". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  3. ^ 박창원 (13 April 2021). 윤석열, '윤서결' 혹은 '윤성녈'. Kyungbuk Maeil [ko]. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Who is Yoon Seok-youl, South Korea's conservative candidate for president?". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  5. ^ Shin, Hyonhee (5 November 2021). "S.Korea's ex-top prosecutor to challenge Moon's party in 2022 presidential election". Reuters. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  6. ^ Shin, Mitch (5 November 2021). "Yoon Suk-yeol Wins People Power Party's Presidential Primary". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  7. ^ Gibson, Jenna (16 October 2019). "South Korea's Cho Kuk Saga Ends". thediplomat.com. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  8. ^ Gibson, Jenna (10 December 2020). "South Korea's Prosecution Reform Saga Heads Toward Final Showdown". thediplomat.com. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  9. ^ "Thousands attend candlelight vigils for Halloween disaster victims across South Korea". ABC News. 6 November 2022. Archived from the original on 16 December 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  10. ^ "Tenacious or stubborn? Yoon's medical reform plan faces crisis". The Korea Times. 7 September 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b "文정권 적폐청산 칼잡이, 정권교체 '별의순간' 잡다...尹인생역정". Yonhap News Agency. 10 March 2022. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Unlikely white knight brought conservatives back to power". Korea JoongAng Daily. 10 March 2022. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g 윤석열 검찰총장 후보자는? "강직한 성품 원리원칙주의자" [Who is the candidate for Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol? "A strong character with principles"]. 19 June 2019. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  14. ^ [윤석열 당선] "가문의 영광" 부친 고향 논산·공주 문중, 자부심·기대. 10 March 2022. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  15. ^ a b c "Chronology of major events in President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's biography". Yonhap News Agency. 10 March 2022. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g 검찰총장 직행 윤석열은 누구?...대학때 전두환에 사형구형. 17 June 2019. Archived from the original on 7 February 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  17. ^ a b c d [프로필] '강골 검사'의 컴백... 윤석열 서울중앙지검장. 19 May 2017. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  18. ^ 윤석열 "절 좀 다녀볼까"···그 뒤엔 '걸레스님'과의 추억. JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 11 March 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  19. ^ a b 윤석열 '부동시' 군면제·아내 예금 50억, 청문회 쟁점 되나. 21 June 2019. Archived from the original on 7 February 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  20. ^ [치안감 영장 '수사권 독립' 겹쳐 파문]. 20 May 1999. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  21. ^ a b c "South Korea's maverick prosecutor takes aim at heart of Samsung". Nikkei Asia. 18 June 2019. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Pulling out a Sword Against Deep-Rooted Irregularities: Surprise Nomination of Yoon Seok-yeol". The Kyunghyang Sinmun. 18 June 2019. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  23. ^ "[Kim Myong-sik] Defender of justice or enforcer for power?". The Korea Herald. 31 July 2019. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  24. ^ a b 한국당·바른미래 "채택 거부" vs 정의당 "유보" vs 평화당 "적격". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 9 July 2019. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  25. ^ "文대통령, 윤석열 검찰총장 임명... 청문보고서 없이 16번째". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 16 July 2019. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  26. ^ a b "文, 윤석열 검찰총장 임명..."살아있는 권력에도 엄정하게"(종합)". Newsis (in Korean). 25 July 2019. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  27. ^ a b 윤석열 검찰은 왜 조국 수사에 사활 거는가. Media Today (in Korean). 6 September 2019. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  28. ^ 대규모 촛불집회에 ... 윤석열 총장 "검찰 개혁, 국민 뜻 받들 것". Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). 29 September 2019. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  29. ^ "與일각 "윤석열 사퇴하라" vs 한국당 "문 대통령 홍위병 앞세워 사법 쿠데타"". The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). 30 September 2019. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  30. ^ 칼 빼든 추미애, '윤석열 라인' 대거 전보 조치. Pressian (in Korean). 8 January 2020. Archived from the original on 8 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  31. ^ "Reshuffle dismantles prosecutor general's team, probes of Blue House". Korea JoongAng Daily. 9 January 2020. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  32. ^ "South Korea's Moon wants to punish 'almighty' prosecutor over unapproved probes into officials". The Japan Times. 12 January 2020. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  33. ^ "Ruling party takes aim at Prosecutor General Yoon". Korea JoongAng Daily. 19 April 2020. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  34. ^ "Ulsan mayor questioned in election-meddling probe". Yonhap. 20 January 2020. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  35. ^ "[Kim Myong-sik] Blue House and 2018 Ulsan mayoral election conspiracy". The Korea Herald. 12 February 2020. Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  36. ^ "Justice minister orders suspension of top prosecutor from duty amid feud over reforms, investigations". The Korea Times. 24 November 2020. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  37. ^ "Chief prosecutor seeks injunction against justice minister's order to suspend him". The Korea Times. 26 November 2020. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  38. ^ Kang, Seung-woo (2 December 2020). "Conflicts with minister further pushes top prosecutor's popularity as presidential hopeful". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  39. ^ Ock, Kee-won (16 December 2020). "Justice Ministry suspends Yoon Seok-youl for 2 months, recognizes 4 out of 6 charges levied". The Hankyoreh. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  40. ^ "Editorial: Respect court's decision". The Korea Times. 25 December 2020. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  41. ^ 윤석열, 차기 대통령감 반열에...PK서 홍준표와 공동 4위 [한국갤럽]. The Dong-A Ilbo (in Korean). 17 January 2020. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  42. ^ [대권주자 지지율] 윤석열, 1%로 대권주자 반열에 올랐다... 이낙연 24%, 황교안 9%, 안철수 4%. Sisaweek (in Korean). 17 January 2020. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  43. ^ "Chief prosecutor tops poll of presidential hopefuls". Yonhap News Agency. 3 January 2021. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  44. ^ "Top Prosecutor Resigns to Protest Taking Away Investigative Power from Prosecution". KBS World Radio. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  45. ^ Ko, Jun-tae (29 June 2021). "Ex-Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl announces presidential bid". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  46. ^ a b c Kim, Sarah (30 July 2021). "Yoon Seok-youl signs on with opposition PPP". Korea JoongAng Daily. JoongAng Holdings Ltd. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  47. ^ Kim, So-hyun (21 July 2021). "[Newsmaker] Yoon battered over 120-hour work week comment and more". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  48. ^ a b "Loose cannon? Yoon Seok-youl snagged by image conundrum over gaffes, quirky habits". Yonhap News Agency. 6 August 2021. Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  49. ^ Kim, So-hyun (2 August 2021). "Let them eat trash: Yoon slammed for 'substandard food' remark". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  50. ^ Jang, Na-rye (6 August 2021). "Yoon Seok-youl sparks controversy by denying there was radiation leak in Fukushima nuclear disaster". The Hankyoreh. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  51. ^ a b Ock, Hee-kwon (3 September 2021). "How prosecution's probe on Newsverse article is linked to Yoon Seok-youl". The Hankyoreh. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  52. ^ a b Shin, Ji-hye (13 September 2021). "[Newsmaker] Yoon Seok-youl allegations threaten to push political arena". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  53. ^ Chung, Esther (12 September 2021). "CIO opens probe of presidential candidate Yoon". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  54. ^ Ko, Jun-tae (7 September 2021). "Hong Joon-pyo rises to break Yoon's grip on party primary". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  55. ^ Park, Chan-kyong (5 October 2021). "Chinese character on South Korean presidential hopeful's palm creates stir". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  56. ^ a b Kwon, Mee-yoo (3 October 2021). "'King' mark on opposition presidential contender's palm raises eyebrows". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  57. ^ Ke, Bryan (6 October 2021). "South Korean presidential candidate seen with 'King' marked on his palm draws side-eyes all around". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  58. ^ Kim, Mi-na (4 October 2021). "S. Korean conservative party's primary devolves into row over shamanistic beliefs". The Hankyoreh. Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  59. ^ Kyung-don, Joo (20 October 2021). "Opposition presidential contender causes stir with praise of ex-president Chun". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  60. ^ "Yoon expresses regret over controversial remarks on ex-President Chun". Yonhap News Agency. The Korea Herald. 21 October 2021. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  61. ^ Yonhap (22 October 2021). "Yoon accused of 'mocking' nation with pic of dog with apple". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  62. ^ Lee, Haye-ah (10 November 2021). "Yoon apologizes for defending ex-President Chun on visit to Gwangju". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  63. ^ Lee, Michael (10 November 2021). "Yoon blocked by protesters during visit to May 18 cemetery". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  64. ^ Lee, Haye-ah (5 November 2021). "(LEAD) Ex-Prosecutor General Yoon wins presidential nomination of main opposition People Power Party". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  65. ^ Jun-tae, Ko (5 November 2021). "Yoon Seok-youl picked as presidential nominee for People Power Party". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  66. ^ "Former top prosecutor wins presidential nomination of main opposition party". The Korea Times. 5 November 2021. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  67. ^ 윤석열 "집권 초기 이명박·박근혜 사면 추진하겠다". Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). 7 November 2021. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  68. ^ Sang-Hun, Choe (24 December 2021). "South Korea to Pardon Ex-President Park Geun-hye, Imprisoned for Corruption". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  69. ^ Hyun-woo, Nam (9 March 2022). "Yoon Suk-yeol wins presidential election". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  70. ^ Kim, Hyung-Jin; Tong-Hyung, Kim (9 March 2022). "Ex-top prosecutor elected South Korea's new president". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  71. ^ Sang-Hun, Choe (9 March 2022). "Live Updates: Opposition's Yoon Wins Tight Race for South Korean Presidency". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  72. ^ Cho, Joohee (9 March 2022). "South Korea elects former top prosecutor Yoon Suk-yeol as next president". ABC News. Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  73. ^ Lee, Michelle Ye Hee; Kim, Min Joo (9 March 2022). "What you need to know about South Korea's president-elect, Yoon Suk-yeol". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  74. ^ S. Korea's next leader to abandon Blue House for new office – SFG(30 March 2022)
  75. ^ a b Kim, Eun-Joong (10 May 2022). "尹 대통령, 0시 임기 시작... 국군통수권 이양 받아". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  76. ^ a b McCurry, Justin (15 March 2023). "South Korea U-turns on 69-hour working week after youth backlash". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  77. ^ "Minimum wage for 2025 surpasses 10,000 won for 1st time". Yonhap News Agency. 12 July 2024.
  78. ^ Rich, Timothy S.; White, Serena; Coyle, Josie (27 October 2023). "How Do South Koreans View Gender Discrimination?". The Diplomat. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  79. ^ Gong, Se Eun (10 April 2024). "Elections reveal a growing gender divide across South Korea". NPR. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  80. ^ a b 윤석열 "저는 성별 갈라치기 한 적 없다" (in Korean). Busan News. 10 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  81. ^ a b Kim, E. Tammy (30 September 2023). "The Worrying Democratic Erosions in South Korea". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  82. ^ "尹 "여성, 장관 직전 위치까지 못 올라와" 답변도 논란" (in Korean). Pressian. 22 May 2022. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  83. ^ '교육 박순애·복지 김승희·식약처 오유경'...尹 내각 女비율 단숨에 30% 근접 ['Park Soon-ae to Education, Kim Seung-hee to Welfare, Oh Yoo-kyung to Ministry of Food and Drug Safety': ratio of women in Yoon cabinet approaches 30%]. Aju News. 26 May 2022. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  84. ^ Kim, Mi-na (9 August 2022). "Education minister resigns 34 days into term as Yoon's approval rating dwindles". The Hankyoreh. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  85. ^ a b Lee, Jeong-Ho; Cha, Sangmi (26 July 2022). "Feud With Police Adds to South Korea President's Early Struggles". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  86. ^ "Gathering of Korea's police chiefs touches off storm of disciplinary action by higher-ups". The Hankyoreh. 25 July 2022. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  87. ^ Blair, Gavin; Henley, Jon (30 October 2022). "At least 153 killed in crowd crush during Halloween festivities in Seoul". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  88. ^ a b "韓國學額風波 揭醫療系統爭議 醫生辭職抗議 總理警告勿以人命要脅". 明報新聞網 – 每日明報 daily news (in Chinese). 19 February 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  89. ^ "South Korea doctors' strike could escalate as medical professors threaten to resign". CNA. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  90. ^ "韓國醫學生名額將增65%,為何引發醫生罷工?|天下雜誌".
  91. ^ Eun-jung, Kim (11 April 2024). "(LEAD) Yoon vows to reform state affairs after election defeat". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  92. ^ Eun-jung, Kim (11 April 2024). "Ruling party leader resigns following election defeat". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  93. ^ Eun-jung, Kim (11 April 2024). "PM says gov't will 'humbly' accept parliamentary election results". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  94. ^ "South Korea's president skips opening ceremony of parliament as strife with opposition deepens". Associated Press. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  95. ^ a b Chen, Heather (23 September 2022). "Hot mic catches South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol swearing about US lawmakers". CNN. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  96. ^ "South Korean president's party sues broadcaster over hot mic comments". The Straits Times. 29 September 2022. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  97. ^ Arin, Kim (6 October 2022). "Did Yoon insult the US Congress?". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  98. ^ Lee, Jeong-Ho (22 September 2022). "South Korea President Disputes Translations of Hot Mic Insult". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  99. ^ Park, Chan-kyong (28 September 2022). "South Korea could investigate TV station for reporting on Yoon Suk-yeol's hot-mic gaffe". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  100. ^ "South Korea: MBC network sued for defamation by ruling party". International Federation of Journalists. 4 October 2022. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  101. ^ Son, Hye-jeong (28 September 2022). "바이든이 맞다" 61.2%... "날리면이 맞다" 26.9%... 尹 지지율 27.9% ["Biden is correct" 61.2%, "Nallimyeon is correct" 26.9%, approval rating 27.9%]. Newdaily [ko] (in Korean). Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  102. ^ 외교부, '윤 대통령 비속어 보도' MBC에 소송제기 [The Ministry of Foreign Affairs files a lawsuit against MBC for reporting on President Yoon's profanity.]. Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). 15 January 2023. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  103. ^ a b johnleenknews (4 April 2024). "South Korea's tech ambitions at risk from government's R&D budget whiplash". KOREA PRO. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  104. ^ "South Korea's Yoon under pressure amid claims of cover-up of soldier's death". South China Morning Post. 28 May 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  105. ^ Min-sik, Yoon (27 May 2024). "Violation found in soldier's death during training exercise: Army". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  106. ^ a b Yim, Hyunsu (9 July 2024). "South Korea's Yoon again vetoes probe bill into marine's death". Reuters.
  107. ^ "뉴라이트, 윤 정부 '전면에'···역사 기관 25개 요직 장악". Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). 13 August 2024.
  108. ^ "'일본 식민통치 옹호' 낙성대경제연구소장이 독립기념관 이사". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). 20 February 2024.
  109. ^ "독립기념관, 뉴라이트 품에?‥광복회 '반발'". MBC (in Korean). 6 August 2024.
  110. ^ "보훈부, 광복회 행사에 '바리케이드'..'뉴라이트' 비판 보복?". MBC (in Korean). 15 November 2024.
  111. ^ "지난 대선 땐 "죄 지었으니 특검 거부"…오늘은 "특검은 반헌법적"". JTBC (in Korean). 7 November 2024.
  112. ^ ""권력 사유화 윤석열 퇴진" 고려대·국민대 교수들도 시국선언". JTBC (in Korean). 14 November 2024.
  113. ^ "멈추지 않는 '윤 퇴진' 시국선언.."권력 사유화"". MBC (in Korean). 15 November 2024.
  114. ^ ""尹, 한국의 트럼프" "독재화"‥유럽서 들려온 잇단 '경고'". MBC News (in Korean). 11 March 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  115. ^ Democracy Report 2024 (PDF) (Report). V-Dem Institute. January 2024. pp. 26–27. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  116. ^ "윤석열 정부 2년 만에… 세계 언론자유지수 62위 '추락'". Media Today (in Korean). 3 May 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  117. ^ "'노조·언론 수사는 신속, 권력 수사는 눈치'‥우려가 현실로". MBC News (in Korean). 11 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  118. ^ "전원 기각된 영장‥'반정부 목소리' 차단용 신청?". MBC (in Korean). 14 November 2024.
  119. ^ "신고 범위 넘었다고 "불법 집회"‥법원 판단은 달랐다". MBC (in Korean). 13 November 2024.
  120. ^ "윤석열 정부 장관 등 국회 불출석 29번, 전 정부 '10배'". Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). 28 August 2023.
  121. ^ "헌재연구원 "대통령, 국회 존중하고 거부권 신중해야"". Donga Ilbo (in Korean). 14 October 2024.
  122. ^ "Yoon's approval rating sinks below 30 pct amid inflation, controversy over personnel appointments". Yonhap News Agency. 29 July 2022. Archived from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  123. ^ "Yoon's approval rating drops to all-time low". The Korea Herald. 5 August 2022. Archived from the original on 5 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  124. ^ "Yoon Suk-yeol's Approval Drops to 19%". MNI – Market News. 11 August 2022. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  125. ^ "Yoon's approval rating rises to 41.5 pct: poll". Yonhap News Agency. 8 December 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  126. ^ "Yoon's approval rating falls to 30 pct: poll". Yonhap News Agency. 31 March 2023. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  127. ^ "Yoon's approval rating sinks to lowest point since taking office". The Korea Times. 31 May 2024.
  128. ^ "Above all else, public sentiment will decide if Korea impeaches its president". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  129. ^ Lee, Hae-rin (23 November 2024). "Over 3,000 university professors demand President Yoon Suk Yeol's resignation". The Korea Times. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  130. ^ "Introducing the Indo-Pacific Strategy". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Korea.
  131. ^ "South Korean president makes surprise visit to Ukraine". NBC News. 15 July 2023.
  132. ^ "'K-Silk Road' puts Korea, Central Asia together". The Korea Times. 27 July 2024.
  133. ^ Kim, Soyoung; Park, Ju-min; Shin, Hyonhee (19 April 2023). "Exclusive: South Korea's Yoon opens door for possible military aid to Ukraine". Reuters. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  134. ^ 이, 해아 (28 June 2022). "Yoon arrives in Spain for NATO summit". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  135. ^ Shin, Hyonhee (10 July 2023). "South Korea's Yoon heads to NATO summit amid North Korea, China tensions". Reuters. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  136. ^ "South Korea President Caught on Hot Mic Insulting US Congress". Bloomberg. 22 September 2022. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  137. ^ "S. Korea not invited to G7 summit meeting this year: sources". Yonhap News Agency. 19 April 2024.
  138. ^ "PacNet #45 – G7 attendance highlights South Korea's growing stature". Pacific Forum. 14 June 2023.
  139. ^ Park, S. Nathan (5 August 2022). "South Korea's Presidential Snub of Pelosi Was an Unforced Blunder". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 5 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  140. ^ Herskovitz, Jon (4 August 2022). "South Korea Leader Snubs Pelosi Over Holiday, Adding to His Woes". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 6 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  141. ^ Kim, Min Joo (4 August 2022). "South Korea's president skips Nancy Pelosi meeting due to staycation". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 5 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  142. ^ "Yoon arrives in Washington on six-day state visit". The Korea Times. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  143. ^ "Yoon tells Congress the US-South Korea alliance is 'stronger than ever'". ABC News. 28 April 2023.
  144. ^ 김, 영신; 곽, 민서 (7 November 2024). "尹·트럼프, 이른 시일내 회동 합의…트럼프 "좋은 협력 기대"". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  145. ^ "돌아온 '동맹 경시' 트럼프 외교‥바이든 따르던 한국 외교는 어디로?" [Trump's diplomacy returns to 'disdain for alliances'...Where will Biden-following South Korea's dimplomacy go?]. MBC News (in Korean). 7 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  146. ^ "尹 "세계사 변화에 제대로 준비못해 국권상실" 발언에, 이언주 "민족적 자부심 완전히 뭉개"". Munhwa Ilbo. 2 March 2023. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  147. ^ 유승민, '尹 100년 전 역사 발언'에 "반인륜 범죄에 면죄부 줄 권리까지 국민이 위임 안 해". 경향신문. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  148. ^ 윤 당선자 '친일·독재 미화 국정교과서 주역' 이배용 '특별고문'에. 한겨레. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2023. 특히 일부 뉴라이트 학자를 포함한 극우진영의 주장을 그대로 옮겨 1948년 8월15일을 '대한민국 정부 수립'이 아닌 '대한민국 수립'으로 고쳤다.
  149. ^ "Reframing South Korea's history: Yoon's dance with the New Right". KORENPRO. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  150. ^ "New Right figures occupy 25 important posts in history institutions under Yoon administration". Kyunghyang Shinmun. 14 August 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  151. ^ "Recent moves by Yoon prove he sees eye to eye with Japan's far right". Hankyoreh. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024. From allowing the Sado gold mine to be designated a World Heritage without mention of Korean slave labor to "new right" appointments, Yoon is proving that he's sympathetic to the Japanese right wing's stance that the colonization of Korea was legal
  152. ^ 민주당, 강제동원 정부안에 "피해자 짓밟고 일본 기업 이익 대변하나". 경향신문. 12 January 2023. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  153. ^ "강제동원 해법, 제2의 국치"···민주당·정의당, 비상시국선언. Money Today [ko]. 7 March 2023. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  154. ^ 한국 재단이 징용 배상 "한일관계 위한 결단"...피해자는 '반발'(종합2보). Yonhap News Agency. 6 March 2023. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  155. ^ 오세훈 "윤 대통령 3·1절 연설 '친일' 비판 도 지나쳐". MBC 뉴스. 3 March 2023. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  156. ^ 민주, 尹 3·1절 기념사에 맹공...박홍근 "매국노 이완용의 말과 무슨 차이 있나". No Cut News. 3 March 2023. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  157. ^ "3·1절 기념사 논란..."친일 굴종외교" "반일로 이득 보려해"". Edaily [ko]. 2 March 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  158. ^ 사과 없는데 "日은 글로벌 협력 파트너"...저(低)자세 외교 비판. No Cut News. 1 March 2023. Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  159. ^ "Japan PM wants summit with South Korea next week, says junior coalition party head". Reuters. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  160. ^ "South Korea President Yoon to visit Japan on March 16 amid improving ties". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  161. ^ 화이트리스트 복원도 적반하장...일본 "한국 자세에 달렸다". Kyunghyang Shinmun. 17 March 2023. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. 제1야당인 입헌민주당의 이즈미 겐타 대표는 이날 윤 대통령과 만나 한·일 갈등 현안인 '레이더-초계기' 문제와 소녀상 건립 문제를 언급했다고 밝혔다. 입헌민주당은 그동안 소녀상 철거를 요구해왔다.
  162. ^ "Japanese PM expresses sympathy with Korean victims of colonial rule". The Guardian. Associated Press. 7 May 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  163. ^ "Yoon, Kishida vow better Seoul-Tokyo ties following summit". ABC News. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  164. ^ "Japan leader expresses sympathy for Korean colonial victims". AP NEWS. 7 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  165. ^ '개인적 안타까움' 전한 기시다 총리, 일본 사과는 없었다 [Prime Minister Kishida delivered only 'personal regret'. Japan has not apologized.]. OhmyNews. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  166. ^ 기시다, 사견 전제로 "마음 아프다"...'사과·반성' 직접 언급은 없어 ["My heartaches", Kishida said on condition of personal view. ... He makes no mention of 'apology' and 'reflection'.]. Yonhap News TV. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  167. ^ 유승민 "기시다 총리 과거사 발언...진정성 사과 아냐" [Yoo Seung-min said, "Prime Minister Kishida's comments on past history are insincere and not apologetic"]. 뉴스프리존. 8 April 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  168. ^ Sevastopulo, Demetri (18 August 2023). "Camp David pact eases Japan-South Korea tensions". Financial Times. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  169. ^ "[Editorial] Why is Korea helping Japan distort history?". The Hankyoreh. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  170. ^ "Stripped of 'forced' labor history, Sado mines are named a World Heritage". Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  171. ^ Soyoung Kim; Ju-min Park; Hyonhee Shin (19 April 2023). "Exclusive: South Korea's Yoon opens door for possible military aid to Ukraine". Reuters. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  172. ^ Gehrke, Joel (19 April 2023). "South Korea might lift 'limitations' on sending weapons to Ukraine". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  173. ^ a b 민주당 "윤 대통령, 우크라이나 군사 지원 시사 철회하라". 경향신문. 20 April 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  174. ^ a b 김종대 "러시아, 北에 무기·기술 지원 가능성". 쿠키뉴스. 20 April 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  175. ^ "尹 '우크라 무기 지원' 시사 파장...美 환영했지만 러시아는 반발". 대한경제. 20 April 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  176. ^ "尹진보당 "우크라이나 살상무기 지원 발언 철회하라" [포토]". The Hankyoreh. 20 April 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  177. ^ "South Korean president makes surprise visit to Ukraine". NBC News. 15 July 2023.
  178. ^ "South Korea increases Ukraine aid to $394 mln for 2024". Reuters. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  179. ^ "(LEAD) Yoon holds summit with Kenyan leader, expresses intent to push for FTA with Africa". Yonhap News Agency. 23 November 2022.
  180. ^ "Launch of 2024 Korea-Africa Summit Preparatory Commission and Its First Meeting (10.13)". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Korea. 17 November 2023.
  181. ^ "North Korea fully suspends military pact with South". BBC.
  182. ^ ""The greatest crisis since the Korean War"..Korean Peninsula covered in 'fear of war'". MBC (in Korean). 10 November 2024.
  183. ^ [뒤끝작렬] 윤석열 '나는 보수다'...한국당에 던지는 메시지는?. No Cut News (in Korean). 6 November 2018. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  184. ^ 정두언 "윤석열 성향 보수로 보여···대통령도 대단한 용기". 12 July 2019. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  185. ^ 진중권, '윤석열 지지포럼'에 기조발제..."확대 해석할 필요 없다". NewsPim (in Korean). 19 May 2021. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  186. ^ 진중권 "윤석열, 상당히 퇴행적...자유지상주의 멘탈". Ajunews (in Korean). 27 July 2021. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  187. ^ "Seoul's art market ascent reaches new high with first Frieze fair". The Art Newspaper. 29 August 2022. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023. The new, socially conservative president Yoon Suk-yeol's tax and inheritance policies have so far been popular with the collecting class, while he has also reportedly pledged $3.66bn for a fund to cultivate the arts.
  188. ^ "The troubling far-right tendencies of Korea's Yoon Suk-yeol". The Hankyoreh. 28 December 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  189. ^ "Is Yoon Suk-yeol the South Korean Trump?". The Korea Herald. 2 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  190. ^ "Feminism is the New F-Word – Populism & Patriarchy Among Young South Korean Men: K-Trumpism is part of the global rise of right-wing populism, experts say". Harvard Political Review. 15 January 2023. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023. The case of South Korea parallels the lasting effects of Trumpism on conservative nativism in the United States, which attributes economic troubles to asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants.
  191. ^ "Samsung commits $356 billion in investments with 80,000 new jobs". The Jakarta Post. 27 May 2022. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023. The two parties are ideologically poles apart, and analysts say the key question is whether voters will kick out Moon's dovish Democratic Party and usher in a new hawkish, fiscally-conservative regime under opposition People Power party's Yoon.
  192. ^ 자칭 보수 윤석열 "프리드먼 책 감명, 사회 점진적 변화 중시". 8 July 2019. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  193. ^ Cha, Victor (9 March 2022). "Yoon Seok-youl: What to Expect from South Korea's Next President". Center for Strategic & International Studies. Archived from the original on 8 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  194. ^ Herzog, Stephen; Sukin, Lauren (25 January 2023). "The Dueling Nuclear Nightmares Behind the South Korean President's Alarming Comments". carnegieendowment.org. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  195. ^ "Yoon says he will request redeployment of U.S. tactical nukes in case of emergency". Yonhap News Agency. 22 September 2021. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  196. ^ a b Gallo, William (24 September 2021). "US Rules Out Redeploying Tactical Nukes to South Korea". VOA. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  197. ^ "South Korea could host more US Thaad missiles: presidential front runner". South China Morning Post. 12 November 2021. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  198. ^ a b Kabra, Archana (12 March 2022). "Meet Kim Kun-hee, Wife of South Korea President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol". The Teal Mango. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  199. ^ [여성조선] 전시장에서 만난 윤석열 검찰총장 후보 부인 김건희 대표... 60억대 자산가. 28 June 2019. Archived from the original on 3 February 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  200. ^ "Korea and Poland sign MOUs on nuclear power, tech and Ukraine". Korea JoongAng Daily. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  201. ^ Quirinale website
  202. ^ "Yoon, Kishida receive JFK Profile in Courage Award for improving Seoul-Tokyo ties". Yonhap News Agency. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  203. ^ ChristinZ [@ChristinsQueens] (21 November 2023). "The South Korean President is wearing the Riband and Star of the Order of the Bath" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
edit
Legal offices
Preceded by
Moon Moo-il
Prosecutor General of South Korea
2019–2021
Succeeded by
Party political offices
New political party People Power nominee for President of South Korea
2022
Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by President of South Korea
2022–present
Incumbent