South Korea’s complex past with dictators and democracy
Behind the K-dramas, K-Pop, and elegant modernism, the Republic of South Korea is a country built on protest, dictatorship, and eventually, democracy. However, that very same democracy has been under fire in the recent past. In December 2024, then-President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, declared martial law, suspending all government activities in both national and local assemblies, and imposing restrictions on the freedom of the press, assembly, and association.
