Rioters clashed with South Korean police recently, following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who used the military to cling to power.

Yoon Suk Yeol took office as a part of South Korea’s People Power Party (PPP) on May 10, 2022. The PPP is a conservative party in Korea whose policies align strongly with those of the American right wing. Yoon and the people around him used martial law to create a coup.

As of Dec. 14, 2024, Yoon’s two-and-a-half-year presidential run came crashing down when the Korean government decided to impeach him. Essentially, Yoon created a government where many Koreans felt their freedoms were being violated, as he relied on the military to uphold his rule.

Once the impeachment hearing went to court in mid-January, Yoon’s supporters were quick to the scene. They protested by holding signs and chanting, as they thought their leader had been unjustly removed from power. However, the protests quickly became more rampant. Yoon’s supporters began clashing with police and trying to break into the Seoul Court.

Once they breached the courthouse, they burned and damaged furniture and rooms inside of the courthouse. The riot came to an end with around 60+ of Yoon’s supporters facing the law, many with trespassing charges.

Yoon’s role, now etched into Korean and world history, demonstrates how quickly people can be affected by extreme leaders.