South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has seen his popularity ratings plummet since taking office in 2022, due to a series of scandals and controversies that have led hundreds of thousands of people to call for his impeachment.
Overcrowding that led to deaths
Just months after his inauguration, the Itaewon Halloween crowd tragedy occurred, which killed 159 people, with the public demanding accountability and action from authorities.
Families told CNN a year later, who were still unhappy with the response — especially after Yoon blocked a bill proposing a new investigation into the incident earlier this year, according to Reuters.
Designer handbag scandal
The president’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, was accused of accepting a $2,200 designer handbag as a gift, which would violate the anti-corruption law that prohibits public officials and their spouses from receiving gifts valued at more than $750.
Yoon called the Dior allegations a “political maneuver” — but instead of going away, the scandal turned into a full-blown crisis for Yoon and his conservative party, reflected in April’s parliamentary elections, where liberal opposition parties won a devastating victory.
The opposition’s parliamentary influence is partly what led Yoon to order emergency martial law, citing an opposition motion to impeach top prosecutors and the rejection of a government budget proposal.
This content was originally published in Analysis: Yoon has been involved in controversies since taking office on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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