Mass resistance and the threat of workers’ strikes stopped a half-baked coup attempt in South Korea in early December.
On 3 December President Yoon Seok Yeol, leader of the conservative People’s Power Party, declared martial law. Yoon cited the need to root out “anti-state forces” and overcome political deadlock, attempting to use Cold War rhetoric through blaming “shameless pro-North Korea elements”.
The martial law declaration called a halt to “all political activities, including those of the National Assembly, local councils, political parties” and declared “all media and publications will be subject to the control of the Martial Law Command”, alongside prohibiting strikes, work stoppages and protests that “incite social unrest”.
The military was deployed to parliament to stop it assembling. In response, thousands took to the streets, gathering around parliament to express their anger, blocking army vehicles and arguing with soldiers.
Within hours, parliament had voted to rescind martial law, exercising its powers under South Korea’s constitution. But with Yoon remaining in power, the wave of protest across the county continued, demanding his resignation.
Up to 100,000 protesters maintained a permanent occupation in front of Parliament House. This included thousands of students in the biggest inter-university student rally Korea has seen in over two decades, which was backed by 30 student unions.
The working class also began mobilising against the threatened coup. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KTCU) called for an indefinite general strike half an hour before martial law was lifted. But several unions still took limited strike action.
Members of the Korean Metal Workers Union (KMWU) carried out two-hour warning strikes at GM Korea, Hyundai Motor and throughout the metalworking sector. The Korean Railway Workers Union also struck.
The following Saturday up to one million people joined a protest demanding Yoon’s resignation.
He was finally impeached by the National Assembly on 14 December, after 12 PPP parliamentarians broke ranks to back the vote in order to reach the required two-thirds majority.
Yoon’s supporters blocked police attempts to arrest him but he was finally taken into custody on 15 January.
Why was martial law called?
South Korea is suffering from problems of low economic growth due to being squeezed by rival imperialist powers, China and the US.
At the end of the Second World War, the US created South Korea when it divided the Korean peninsula between itself and Russia. From 1950 US troops fought to prop the state up during the Korean War and never left.
South Korea’s economy has become more integrated with the nearby Chinese economy, with many South Korean manufacturers exporting machinery and semiconductors to China.
During the 2000s, the government declared they were partnering with the US for security and with China economically. but since the imperialist rivalry between the US and China has become more intense, the US has demanded that South Korea decouple from China.
Chinese companies also present a formidable challenge to South Korean in areas such as semiconductors, consumer electronics and cars, which have been a major part of South Korea’s industrial miracle. The largest semiconductor company has seen its share price fall by half in the past six months.
As a result Yoon was under pressure from South Korea’s capitalists to reform the economy. But since the opposition Democratic Party won control of parliament in April 2024, he had been unable to get his measures passed, with a deadlock over the budget.
Through his time in power he has set out to viciously attack trade unions, denouncing them as a “deep rooted evil”. He has brought trumped up criminal charges against thousands of unionists, used the National Security Act to raid the offices of the KCTU and stepped up police repression of union protests.
But workers throughout his presidency have fought back. Although they didn’t win they inflicted political damage.
South Korea has a history of military rule and union repression. Military dictator Park Chung-hee seized power in 1961, systematically breaking up the KCTU’s predecessor the FCTU.
In 1980, General Chun Doo Hwan declared martial law, allowing him to launch a bloody campaign of political repression, including at Gwangju. Military police smashed student protests, with 165 killed and more than 3000 wounded.
Military rule ended in 1987 following student protests and massive strikes.
Despite Yoon’s arrest, he has refused to back down, calling on right-wing activists to take to the streets in his support. Continuing the strikes and protests will be necessary to defend democracy and ensure he can’t return.
By Midhat Jafri
