Lee Ju-Ho has taken office as South Korea’s fourth president as of December 1, 2025, amidst protests and backlash following the arrest of former president Yuk Yeol, who has been in exile.
The South Korean government has left international partners puzzled over the last 24 hours after President Han Dak Saw resigned unexpectedly on Thursday, instigating a campaign to replace Yoon during the special election set for June 3. Officials promptly filled in for Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who briefly acted as president after Han’s dismissal in December, but Choi unexpectedly resigned, paving the way for Lee to become the country’s leader.
On the first day of Lee’s inauguration, the whirlwind of resignations raised eyebrows and questions among international observers. Reports from Korea’s Junggan Daily indicated that an emergency cabinet meeting kicked off the day, with attendees initially doubting its legality. The flurry of resignations resulted in the Cabinet lacking the necessary quorum, leading to significant legal uncertainty—though ultimately, they resolved to proceed based on prior precedents.
The chaos began late on December 3 when Yoon, who had secured a fierce electoral mandate in 2022, announced, rather abruptly, the imposition of martial law in response to the left-leaning Democrats blocking his agenda in Congress. Yoon accused the Democrats of colluding with the “Communist North Korean army” to undermine the “constitutional order.”
However, martial law was short-lived, lasting just a few hours as lawmakers rushed into the legislative chamber to conduct emergency votes opposing the military measures. The legality of overthrowing martial law stands; however, the military orders made political activities—including legislative votes—illegal, forcing lawmakers to navigate through armed soldiers to cast their votes.
Though martial law was lifted within 24 hours, Yoon issued an apology. Still, the National Assembly voted to oust him regardless, leading to Han Duck So stepping in as acting president, only to be dismissed soon after for taking too long to manage the fallout from Yoon’s actions. This left Choi juggling duties as the proxy president.
While Han’s legal issues went on, Yoon was unceremoniously expelled from the presidency. The nation now gears up for an election on June 3 to select his successor.
Han resigned on Thursday in preparation for his own campaign in that election.
“After reflecting deeply on whether this decision is the right and necessary one, I find myself contemplating the weight of my responsibility at this serious moment,” he stated on Thursday. “If this is the way forward, I felt compelled to act.”
The South Korean government faced backlash from pre-diplomacy settings as journalists suggested that Choi Sang-Mok, following his resignation, would be both president and prime minister. However, those claims surfaced before Choi himself stepped down. Education Minister Lee Ju-Ho, next in line, stepped up as Deputy President on Friday.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had to retract and rewrite an official diplomatic memo sent to the Seoul embassy,” reported John Gun on Friday. “The memo issued post-Han’s resignation was collected and redrafted after Choi resigned before the liberal Democrats’ meeting.”
This ongoing turmoil means South Korea has seen four individuals serve as president in the last five months, somewhat reminiscent of political upheavals in various Latin American countries. For instance, Peru had six presidential changes between 2016 and 2022 because of corruption scandals.
According to South Korean diplomats, there’s a sense of “embarrassment” surrounding the current events.
“Some staff stationed abroad have found themselves approached by officials from host countries asking for explanations, as the situation in South Korea is baffling and hard to keep up with,” shared an anonymous diplomatic source.
As reported by the South China Morning Post, citizens are becoming increasingly “irritated” and disillusioned with the state of their national politics.
“Really? Even the Minister of Education is acting president now? That was my immediate reaction upon seeing the news,” shared 26-year-old Song Hyun-woo in a newspaper interview.
Choi Jin Yong, a retiree, sighed, “No matter how much I follow politics, it feels like nothing changes, so I’ve kind of given up.”
On Friday, Lee attempted to convene a Cabinet meeting amidst ongoing confusion; however, it appeared no one in his administration was in a legally recognized position.
“Due to a lack of quorum, the cabinet meeting, originally slated for 10:30 AM, encountered disruptions,” noted John Gun. “The Constitution states that the Cabinet must have at least 15 to 30 ministers, and after Choi Sang-mok’s resignation, only 14 ministers were eligible to vote.”
Eventually, the meeting did take place.
The Democrats have capitalized on the dwindling popularity of Yoon’s conservative People’s Power Party (PPP), although their future remains uncertain as their leader, Lee Jae-myeon, is entangled in numerous legal issues that could hamper his candidacy. The South Korean Supreme Court determined that Lee had made a “false statement” during the 2022 election, where he confronted Yoon, and he faces multiple corruption allegations stemming from his time as the governor.
