Analysis: Yoon has been embroiled in controversy and scandal since he took office
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has seen his popularity ratings plunge since he took office in 2022, due to a series of scandals and controversies that even prompted hundreds of thousands to call for his impeachment.
Deadly crowd crush: Just months after his inauguration, the Itaewon Halloween crowd crush took place, killing 159 people, with the public demanding accountability and action from authorities.
Families told CNN a year on they remained unsatisfied with the response — especially after Yoon blocked a bill proposing a new probe into the incident earlier this year, according to Reuters.
Designer bag controversy: Then there was the Dior bag controversy: The president’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, was accused of accepting a $2,200 designer bag as a gift, which would violate the anti-graft law banning public officials and their spouses from receiving gifts valued at more than $750.
Yoon has called the Dior allegations a “political stunt” — but instead of blowing over, the scandal has escalated into a full-blown crisis for Yoon and his conservative party, reflected in the parliamentary elections in April where liberal opposition parties scored a landslide victory.
The opposition’s parliamentary sway is partly what prompted Yoon to order emergency martial law, citing a motion by the opposition to impeach top prosecutors and reject a government budget proposal.
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