On December 3, the President of the Republic of Korea, Yun Seok-yeol, declared martial law, explaining it as a need to protect the constitutional order. The decision caused discontent and shock among citizens. Just 2.5 hours later, the parliament voted to lift martial law. The opposition initiated impeachment proceedings against the president and also criticized the actions of the Minister of Defense, who eventually resigned.
On December 5, an investigation was launched against the president, and a day later the ruling party supported the resignation of the head of state. On December 7, a few hours before the impeachment vote, the president addressed the nation and apologized for his decision, saying that he made it out of “despair.” During the vote , the parliament did not get the necessary number of votes to declare impeachment. All these days, mass demonstrations took place in the center of Seoul, surprising the world with the unity that the country’s citizens showed.
A demonstration in Seoul ahead of the impeachment vote. Photo: Yonhap.
The Republic of Korea is one of the popular destinations among Uzbek citizens who choose this country for study and work. Gazeta.uz talked to compatriots in this country and found out whether the current events have affected their lives.
Doniyor, a student from Uzbekistan who has lived in Seoul for four years, said the imposition of martial law has not affected his usual way of life. It is just part of a long-running conflict between society and the government, including the president, he said.
The February doctors’ strike , which opposed the government and president’s proposal to increase quotas for medical schools, had a greater impact on society, Doniyor said. At the time, his daughter needed urgent medical care, but the protests kept thousands of doctors off work and a number of South Korean medical institutions declared a red alert.
“One late night, our daughter fell and broke her chin. She needed plastic surgery. The emergency center at the hospital refused us, explaining that such surgery was not urgent – it could be performed within 24 hours, and plastic surgeons do not work at night as a sign of protest. The 119 service (emergency call center) tried for a long time to find a hospital for us, but none of the nearby clinics accepted us. We had to wait until the morning to make an appointment with a surgeon,” the man said.
The source of Gazeta.uz added that a strike by the railway workers’ union was planned for December 5 throughout the country, and for the Seoul subway workers on the 6th. They are demanding higher wages and the president’s resignation.
These actions were announced even before the introduction of martial law, which also indicates the long-term nature of the conflict between society and the executive power in the country, Doniyor said.
A subway workers’ strike was averted at the last minute, The Korea Times reported . The Seoul Subway reached an agreement with each of the three unions on the morning of December 6. The main points of the agreement include a 2.5% wage increase and the hiring of about 630 new employees. The railway union failed to reach an agreement with the Korea National Railroad Corporation.
A still from a street camera broadcast on Saturday evening. The street in front of the parliament (its building is in the background).
Doniyor noted that not only opposition deputies, but also representatives of the ruling party, religious organizations, students, and various associations of lawyers, attorneys, and journalists spoke out against the president’s decision and for his immediate resignation.
“Even the mayor of Seoul spoke out against the president’s decision. It is hard for us (Uzbeks – ed. ) to believe this, but the mayor was elected by the people, and he is responsible to the people,” Doniyor said.
When information about the introduction of martial law in the Republic of Korea appeared, friends, colleagues and relatives from Uzbekistan began writing to the man. They were most concerned about the photos of armored vehicles in Seoul that were actively distributed online. It turned out that they were fake.
Doniyor noted that many of his Uzbek acquaintances receive news from Russian Telegram channels, which, in his opinion, fueled the situation with their comments.
“When everything ended peacefully, some of them even wrote disappointed posts, because in their understanding, the army and police should always protect the president, not the people,” he shared.
Demonstrators in front of parliament the morning after martial law was declared. Photo: Gazeta.uz.
Yakov Golovlev, an ethnic Korean from Tashkent, came to the Republic of Korea 2.5 years ago. He now lives in the city of Gyeongju, located 2-3 hours from Seoul, the epicenter of recent events. He works as a translator at a children’s hospital.
“It all happened so suddenly. I live far from Seoul, in another part of the country, and it didn’t affect our city at all. People just went to work, everything was as usual. I wouldn’t have even known about these events if my relatives and friends hadn’t started writing to me, worried about me because of the martial law and the protests. Martial law didn’t affect everyday life that much,” he said.
The man noted that the Republic of Korea is a democratic country, and people here can freely express dissatisfaction: demand higher wages or protest against a new bill.
“The president, judging by the mood in society, was not very popular anyway, so I think he will have to leave office,” he added.
Foreigners, according to Yakov, have nothing to fear – they can leave the country at any time, and in the event of an emergency, embassies of countries will join in the evacuation of their citizens.
Student A. L., whose father has been periodically traveling to the Republic of Korea since 2012, also said that the events were localized in Seoul. He currently lives in Cheonan, 82 km from Seoul, and works as a foreman at a factory.
“I wrote to him all night, but he was asleep at that time. When dad woke up, he didn’t even know that martial law had been declared. He said that [in his city] nothing had changed – everything was happening in Seoul. The next day he just went to work, they didn’t give him any day off,” A. L. shared.
The student himself, being in Uzbekistan, followed the news all night and monitored the situation.
“I didn’t sleep at all, closer to 6 o’clock in the morning, when it became known that the president was making contact and martial law was lifted, I calmly went to bed. Dad is alone in Korea. It is unlikely that I could have helped in any way,” he added.
Demonstrators in front of parliament the morning after martial law was declared. Photo: Gazeta.uz.
The December events were a serious test for M.A., a student at Ewha Womans University in Seoul who moved from Tashkent in August 2024. Her Mongolian friend, who lives with her in the dorm, witnessed the demonstrations.
“My neighbor was at work that day. When she returned home, the main streets were blocked off, chaos everywhere.” Residents gathered in front of the National Assembly (parliament) to try to keep the special forces out of the building. The friend does not remember how she got home.
Both girls were afraid and anxious, as leaving the country could become more difficult if the situation worsened. M.A. emphasizes that she tries to avoid streets located near the parliament.
“The only thing I could do was not to leave the dorm. As a foreigner, I understood that participating in rallies could lead to serious consequences, including deportation,” she explains.
At the same time, M.A. was surprised by the fearless actions of the Korean deputies. “Despite the late hour, they got through [to parliament] through security,” the girl shared.
The student added that the population was not informed about the introduction of martial law, which is not typical for the Republic of Korea.
“Here, in any emergency situation, even during snowfalls, notifications usually come to your phone. But here, martial law was introduced, but there was no warning. We learned everything from the live news,” she adds.
According to her, the protests continued in the city the next day, but the working day for residents remained unchanged. Her friend, who works shifts at a restaurant, decided to take the day off.
It should be noted that street surveillance cameras installed throughout Seoul have continued to broadcast live without interruption over the past days. This allows us to assess the scale of the demonstrations, their organization, and the coordinated work of the police, who from time to time restricted the movement of the demonstrators’ marches.
