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Yoon Suk-yeol (; born 18 December 1960) is a South Korean politician, former public prosecutor and lawyer who has been serving as the 13th and current president of South Korea since 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as the prosecutor general of South Korea between 2019 and 2021. Born in Seoul, Yoon attended Seoul National University. In his capacity as the chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office, he played a key role in convicting former presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak for abuse of power. Yoon was appointed prosecutor general of South Korea by President
Moon Jae-in Moon Jae-in (; ; born 24 January 1953) is a South Korean former politician, civil servant and lawyer who served as the 12th president of South Korea between 2017 and 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs an ...
in July 2019. During Yoon's leadership, the Supreme Prosecutor's Office conducted embattled investigations into Cho Kuk, an influential figure in President Moon's administration, that would lead to Cho's resignation. Yoon's clashes with the Moon administration until his resignation as prosecutor general in March 2021 led to his rise as a presidential candidate. In June 2021, Yoon announced his candidacy in the
2022 South Korean presidential election Presidential elections were held in South Korea on 9 March 2022. Under the South Korean constitution, presidents are restricted to a single five-year term, meaning that incumbent president Moon Jae-in was ineligible to run for a second term. ...
. He joined the
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization ...
People Power Party in July, and won the PPP nomination in November. Yoon narrowly defeated
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa * Botswana Democratic Party * Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *De ...
nominee Lee Jae-myung on 9 March 2022 and assumed office as president on 10 May 2022.


Early life and education

Yoon was born in
Bomun-dong Bomun-dong is a ''dong'', neighbourhood of Seongbuk-gu in Seoul, South Korea. See also *Administrative divisions of South Korea South Korea is made up of 17 first-tier administrative divisions: 6 metropolitan cities (''gwangyeoksi'' ), 1 ...
,
Seongbuk District Seongbuk District (Seongbuk-gu) is one of the 25 '' gu'' which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. It is located in the mid-north part of the city. The current Mayor is Kim Young-bae (김영배), who has been mayor since July 1, 2010. Seongbuk ...
, Seoul, in 1960 and raised in Yeonhui-dong,
Seodaemun District Seodaemun District (, "Great West Gate") is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. Seodaemun has a population of 313,814 (2010) and has a geographic area of 17.61 km2 (6.8 sq mi), and is divided into 14 '' dong'' (administrative nei ...
. His father, Yoon Ki-jung, was born in
Nonsan Nonsan () is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It is located at . The origin of Nonsan's geographical names is said to have come from the small garden " Nolmoe, " which rises in the middle of farming fields, where rice paddi ...
and is a professor emeritus of economics at Yonsei University and a full member of the
National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Korea The National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Korea, is the senior national organization of distinguished Korean scientists and scholars. It was founded to promote learning and research in all areas of sciences by conferring membership and pr ...
. His mother, Choi Jeong-ja, was born in Gangneung and was a lecturer at Ewha Womans University before leaving the position after getting married. Yoon attended Daegwang Elementary School and Joongrang Middle School, transferring to Choongam Middle School after finishing eighth grade. After graduating from Choongam High School, he studied law at Seoul National University. He is a colleague of Moon Kang-bae, a lawyer who described Yoon as an "extrovert and faithful" person. Shortly after the Gwangju Uprising, Yoon and his colleagues held a
mock trial A mock trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting ...
, where he acted as a prosecutor, demanding the death penalty for
Chun Doo-hwan Chun Doo-hwan (; or ; 18 January 1931 – 23 November 2021) was a South Korean army general and military dictator who ruled as an unelected strongman from 1979 to 1980 before replacing Choi Kyu-hah as president of South Korea from 1980 to 198 ...
, the president of the republic. Following the mock trial, Yoon escaped to Gangwon Province. Yoon was exempted in 1982 from national service due to
anisometropia Anisometropia refers to a condition when two eyes have unequal refractive power. Generally, a difference in power of one diopter (1D) or more is the accepted threshold to label the condition anisometropia. Patients can tolerate 3 D of anisometrop ...
. Yoon later added that he was unable to obtain a driving licence because of the condition. Yoon passed the first part of the bar exam in Year 4 of university but failed the second. He kept failing for the next nine years. He finally passed the bar in 1991, in the same graduating class as
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa * Botswana Democratic Party * Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *De ...
assemblyman and
minister of justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in ...
Park Beom-kye Park Beom-kye (; born 27 April 1963) is a South Korean politician who served as Minister of Justice under President Moon Jae-in from 2021 to 2022 and a three-term parliamentarian representing Daejeon from 2012. After passing the bar exam and co ...
.


Prosecutorial career


Early career

Yoon started his career at Daegu Public Prosecutor's Office in 1994. He headed the Special Branch and Central Investigation Department, both of which investigate corruption-related cases. In 1999, he arrested Assistant Commissioner Park Hui-won, who was involved in a corruption in spite of strong objections from bureaucrats in the Kim Dae-jung cabinet. In January 2002, Yoon worked briefly as a lawyer at Bae, Kim & Lee but left as he felt that he was not suited to the position. Upon his return as a prosecutor, he prosecuted such pro- Roh Moo-hyun figures as
Ahn Hee-jung Ahn Hee-jung (born 1 May 1965), also known as An Hee-jung, is a former South Korean politician. He served as the 36th and 37th Governor of South Chungcheong Province. He stepped down from his role as governor and announced his retirement from ...
and Kang Keum-won. In 2006, he apprehended
Chung Mong-koo Chung Mong-koo (born March 19, 1938, in Kangwon Province) is a South Korean businessman. He is the honorary chairman and former CEO of Hyundai Motor Group, Korea's second largest chaebol that manages 54 subsidiaries including Hyundai Motor, Kia ...
for his complicity in a slush fund case at
Hyundai Motor Company Hyundai Motor Company, often abbreviated to Hyundai Motors ( ) and commonly known as Hyundai (, ; ), is a South Korean multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, and founded in 1967. Currently, the company o ...
. In 2008, he worked for the independent counsel team resolving the BBK incident related to President Lee Myung-bak. In 2013, Yoon led a special investigation team that looked into the National Intelligence Service (NIS)'s involvement in the
2012 NIS public opinion manipulation scandal The 2012 NIS public opinion manipulation scandal saw members of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) of South Korea accused of interfering in the South Korean presidential election, 2012. First, an agent of the National Intelligence Service ( ...
. Yoon sought the prosecution of the former head of the NIS,
Won Sei-hoon Won Sei-hoon (born January 31, 1951) is a former South Korean public servant. Born in Yeongju, he obtained a Masters in Urban Administration from Hanyang University. In 2009, he was appointed the 10th Director of the National Intelligence Servi ...
for violating the Public Official Election Act. He accused Justice Minister
Hwang Kyo-ahn Hwang Kyo-ahn (; born 15 April 1957) is a South Korean politician and prosecutor who served as acting president of South Korea from 9 December 2016 to 10 May 2017 and the 40th prime minister of South Korea from 18 June 2015 to 11 May 2017. Hwa ...
of influencing his investigation. As a result, he was demoted from the Seoul prosecutors' office to the Daegu and Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office. Yoon later became head of investigations in the special prosecutor team of Park Young-soo, which investigated allegations pertaining to the 2016 Choi Soon-sil scandal involving Choi, Samsung vice-chairman
Lee Jae-yong Lee Jae-yong (; born 23 June 1968), known professionally in the West as Jay Y. Lee, is a South Korean business magnate and the chairman of Samsung Electronics. He is the only son of Hong Ra-hee and Lee Kun-hee, chairman of Samsung until his de ...
and then-president Park Geun-hye, which led to the
impeachment Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In ...
of the president in December 2016. On 19 May 2017, the newly-elected president
Moon Jae-in Moon Jae-in (; ; born 24 January 1953) is a South Korean former politician, civil servant and lawyer who served as the 12th president of South Korea between 2017 and 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs an ...
appointed Yoon as chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. The prosecution indicted two former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, three former NIS chiefs, former chief justice Yang Sung-tae and more than 100 other former officials and business executives under his tenure. Yoon also led an investigation into accounting fraud at Samsung.


Prosecutor general

On 17 June 2019, Yoon was nominated as prosecutor general, replacing
Moon Moo-il The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
. His nomination was welcomed by the ruling
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa * Botswana Democratic Party * Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *De ...
and the
Party for Democracy and Peace A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature fo ...
, but was opposed by the
Liberty Korea Party The Liberty Korea Party () was a conservative political party in South Korea that was described variously as right-wing, right-wing populist, or far-right. Until February 2017, it was known as the Saenuri Party (), and before that as the Hanna ...
and the
Bareunmirae Party The Bareunmirae Party (), also known as the Bareun Mirae Party and Bareun Future Party, was a South Korean liberal-conservative political party. It was founded in 2018 by merger of the centrist liberal People's Party and the conservative Bare ...
. The minor party Justice Party remained neutral. On 16 July, he was officially appointed as the new prosecutor general and started his term nine days later. President Moon ordered him to be neutral, adding that any kind of corruption must be strictly investigated though it is related to the government. During Yoon's leadership, the Supreme Prosecutor's Office launched investigations against
Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in ...
Cho Kuk, who was involved in various scandals. His decision to investigate Cho was welcomed by the conservative opposition but was condemned by the Democratic Party and its supporters. After
Choo Mi-ae Choo Mi-ae (; born 23 October 1958) is a South Korean politician who served as the Minister of Justice as well as five-term parliamentarian and 3rd leader of Democratic Party. She is the first woman to hold the post after Kang Kum-sil who ...
was appointed the new minister of justice, she took an action against several prosecutors close to Yoon. Choo attributed her decision to Yoon's failure to submit a reorganization plan for his department, which she requested, but this was seen as retaliation by the Blue House for Cho Kuk's prosecution. In April 2020, Democratic Party lawmakers again attacked Yoon and called on him to resign as the prosecution started investigations into election law violation cases involving both ruling and opposition politicians and also suspected election rigging of the Ulsan mayoral race for Mayor
Song Cheol-ho Song Cheol-ho (; born 26 May 1949) is a South Korean lawyer and politician and currently serves as the mayor of Ulsan. Life Song Cheol-ho was born in Busan in 1949 and he grew up in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, where his father was born. Son ...
in 2018 by senior secretaries at the Blue House.


Suspension, reinstatement, and resignation

On 24 November 2020, Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae suspended Yoon from his position, citing alleged ethical violations, abuse of power, and interference into investigations of his associates and family members. Yoon filed an injunction against the minister's suspension order, which was approved by the Seoul Administrative Court on 1 December, temporarily halting the suspension. On 16 December, the Ministry of Justice then imposed a two-month suspension on Yoon, accepting four of six major charges for disciplinary action. The decision was subsequently approved by President Moon. However on 24 December, following an injunction filed at the Seoul Administrative Court, the suspension was overturned as the court accepted Yoon's claim that the process to suspend him was unfair. On 4 March 2021, Yoon tendered his resignation, which was accepted by President Moon.


2022 presidential election

Yoon had been considered a potential presidential candidate for the 2022 presidential election since the aftermath of the Cho Kuk controversies, appearing as a significant candidate in general election opinion polls since at least January 2020. In a January 2021 poll including all possible presidential candidates, Yoon led as the most favored with 30.4 percent of the vote, more than the individual supports for the ruling Democratic Party frontrunners Lee Jae-myung and
Lee Nak-yon Lee Nak-yon (; born 20 December 1952), also known as Lee Nak-yeon, is a South Korean politician who served as the 41st Prime Minister of South Korea from 2017 to 2020. A member of the Democratic Party of Korea, he is the longest-serving prime ...
. On 29 June 2021, Yoon officially announced his candidacy in the 2022 presidential election. On 12 July, he registered with the
National Election Commission An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
as an independent candidate. On 30 July 2021, Yoon officially joined the
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization ...
People Power Party, which is currently the main opposition party in South Korea. Prior to this Yoon had been a political independent, although his popular support came primarily from conservatives. Yoon was welcomed into the PPP by
Choi Jae-hyung Choi Jae-hyung (Korean language, Korean: 최재형, born 2 September 1956) is a South Korean politician and retired judge who served as the Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) from 2018 to 2021. He is a member of the National As ...
, a fellow 2022 presidential candidate, in a small public ceremony at the PPP headquarters located in
Yeouido Yeouido ( Hangul: 여의도, en, Yoi Island or Yeoui Island) is a large island (or eyot) on the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. It is Seoul's main finance and investment banking district. Its 8.4 square kilometers are home to some 30,988 peopl ...
, Seoul. Choi was the former head of the
Board of Audit and Inspection The Board of Audit and Inspection (, BAI) is a national organization headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. Its primary function is the audit An audit is an "independent examination of financial information of any entity, whether profit oriented ...
and had also just recently joined the PPP, officially having become a member on 15 July. Yoon's welcoming ceremony into the People Power Party notably did not include recently elected party leader
Lee Jun-seok Jun-seok Andy Lee (; born 31 March 1985) is a South Korean politician who served as party leader of the conservative People Power Party. Lee entered politics as a relatively young member of the Park Geun-hye presidential administration, du ...
, who had been outside of Seoul at the time. During the primary election period, Yoon came under criticism for several perceived gaffes and controversial statements. In July, Yoon advocated for a 120-hour work week while critiquing President Moon's policy of the 52-hour maximum work week. Yoon advocated deregulating
food safety Food safety (or food hygiene) is used as a scientific method/discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food-borne illness. The occurrence of two or more cases of a similar illness resulting from t ...
standards because, in his opinion, "poor people should be allowed to eat substandard food for lower prices", citing economist Milton Friedman's 1980 book '' Free to Choose: A Personal Statement'' as the inspiration for the idea. In August, Yoon stated that South Korea's recent feminist movement was a significant contributing factor to the issue of the nation's low birth rates. Later that same week, Yoon claimed during an interview with ''
Busan Ilbo ''Busan Ilbo'' () is a Korean language newspaper published in the South Korean city of Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romaniz ...
'' that there was "basically no radiation leak" from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster because "the reactors themselves didn't collapse." On 2 September 2021, news website ''Newsverse'' reported that during his time as prosecutor general, Yoon had allegedly ordered a senior prosecutor Son Jun-sung and politician
Kim Woong Kim Woong (Korean: 김웅, born 5 May 1970) is a South Korean prosecutor and politician. A member of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), he is the incumbent Member of the National Assembly for Songpa 1st constituency since 2020. He j ...
to file politically motivated criminal complaints against Democratic Party politicians ahead of the 2020 legislative elections in an attempt to sway the elections. In response to the allegations, an internal investigatory probe was launched by the Supreme Prosecutor's Office, and an investigation was launched by the recently formed
Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (), or CIO in short, is an independent agency of the South Korean government responsible for prosecuting crimes and investigating allegations involving "high-ranking officials" or th ...
(CIO). Yoon denied the allegations and reported informant Cho Sung-eun and Director of the National Intellience Service Park Jie-won to the CIO. In early September, support for PPP primary contender
Hong Joon-pyo Hong Joon-pyo (born 20 November 1953), also spelled as Hong Jun-pyo, is a South Korean politician and former prosecutor who is the current Mayor of Daegu. He previous served as the governor of South Gyeongsang Province, a member of the Nationa ...
, who had been the nominee for PPP predecessor
Liberty Korea Party The Liberty Korea Party () was a conservative political party in South Korea that was described variously as right-wing, right-wing populist, or far-right. Until February 2017, it was known as the Saenuri Party (), and before that as the Hanna ...
in the 2017 presidential election, rose sharply in polls, which made Hong the most significant contender to Yoon since the beginning of the campaign cycle. A 6 September poll of contenders across all parties showed support for Hong at 13.6%, up from 4.2% a week earlier, behind Yoon who had support at 26.4%. During primary debates amongst PPP presidential candidates, Yoon appeared to have the hanja character for "king" written on his left palm, a
shamanist Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiri ...
talisman for good luck. Yoon's primary opponents, including Hong Joon-pyo and
Yoo Seong-min Yoo Seong-min (, born 7 January 1958), also known as Yoo Seung-min, is a South Korean economist and politician. Yoo is former a member of the Korean Parliament and was the Bareun Party's presidential nominee in the 2017 South Korean presidenti ...
, criticized Yoon for using shamanist practices and made comparisons to the Choi Soon-sil scandal. In response to the criticism, Yoon stated that "a supporter drew that as a message of support, encouraging me to be confident like a 'king' during the debate", and that he had forgotten to wash the mark off. In October, Yoon made complimentary remarks about former
authoritarian Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in the rule of law, separation of powers, and democratic voti ...
military dictator A military dictatorship is a dictatorship in which the military exerts complete or substantial control over political authority, and the dictator is often a high-ranked military officer. The reverse situation is to have civilian control of the m ...
of South Korea
Chun Doo-hwan Chun Doo-hwan (; or ; 18 January 1931 – 23 November 2021) was a South Korean army general and military dictator who ruled as an unelected strongman from 1979 to 1980 before replacing Choi Kyu-hah as president of South Korea from 1980 to 198 ...
. The remarks came during a meeting with People Power Party officials in Busan, during which Yoon said that "many people still consider Chun as having done well in politics, except the
military coup A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
and the Gwangju Uprising", later adding that he believed even people in
Honam Honam (; literally "south of the lake") is a region coinciding with the former Jeolla Province in what is now South Korea. Today, the term refers to Gwangju, South Jeolla and North Jeolla Provinces. The name "Jeonla-do" is used in the names of t ...
, the geographic area including Gwangju, felt the same way. Chun Doo-hwan, a widely maligned figure in South Korea, was responsible for numerous human rights abuses, including the torture and killings of innocent civilians. Yoon apologized for these remarks. Yoon again apologized for his remarks when he visited the
May 18th National Cemetery May 18th National Cemetery (Hangul: 국립5·18민주묘지; Hanja: 國立5·18民主墓地) is a cemetery for those who participated in the Gwangju Uprising. Built by the government of South Korea in 1997, it is located in Gwangju. Every May, o ...
in Gwangju on 10 November, although his visit was met by protesters. On 5 November 2021, Yoon officially won the nomination of the People Power Party for the 2022 presidential election. The win came after Yoon fought off a surge in support for rival candidate Hong Joon-pyo in the latter weeks of the primary. The nomination resulted from a four-day period of voting by party members and the general public. Yoon Suk-yeol won 47.85% of the votes, a total of 347,963 votes, and of the remaining candidates Hong Joon-pyo won 41.50% of the votes, Yoo Seong-min won 7.47% of the votes, and
Won Hee-ryong Won Hee-ryong (born February 14, 1964) is a South Korean politician who is the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport since May 11, 2022. He was a member of the 16th, 17th, and 18th National Assembly, and a Supreme Council Member of t ...
won 3.17% of the votes. Yoon narrowly won the 2022 presidential election that took place on 9 March 2022. Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung conceded defeat in the early hours of the following day. Yoon won 48.56% of the votes, while Lee Jae-Myung won 47.83% of the vote. Yoon's presidential election victory was by the closest margin in South Korean history.


Presidency (2022–present)


Relocation of presidential office

On 20 March 2022, he announced that he would establish his presidential office in the Ministry of National Defense building in
Yongsan District Yongsan District (, ) is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. Yongsan has a population of 231,685 (2020) and has a geographic area of , and is divided into 19 ''dong'' (administrative neighborhoods). Yongsan is located in central Seoul ...
, Seoul, instead of the
Blue House Cheong Wa Dae ( ko, 청와대; Hanja: ; ), also known as the Blue House, is a public park that formerly served as the executive office and official residence of the president of South Korea from 1948 to 2022. It is located in the Jongno distri ...
, which was open to the public as a park on 10 May 2022. He would take office that day. This marked the end of the Blue House as the official presidential office and residence after 74 years.


2022 police bureau proposal

In late July 2022, Yoon proposed the creation of a "police bureau", in order to ensure greater government oversight of the police force. In response, several police officers protested, claiming the measure was a dictatorial measure to compromise the political neutrality of the police. In response to the protests, Lee Sang-min, Yoon's Interior Minister, compared them to the 1979 Coup d'état of December Twelfth, though he later walked back the remarks. Yoon himself also criticised the protests, saying, "Like many, I am also deeply concerned about the collective protest of the police chiefs," and calling it a "serious breach" of police discipline. Following the protests, the presidential office threatened to punish police officers. Additional remarks by Yoon Hee-keun, President Yoon's choice as Commissioner General of the
National Police Agency National Police may refer to the national police forces of several countries: *Afghanistan: Afghan National Police *Haiti: Haitian National Police *Colombia: National Police of Colombia *Cuba: Cuban National Police *East Timor: National Police o ...
, suggesting that police should focus on wages rather than the establishment of a police bureau, further enflamed tensions.


2022 Seoul crowd crush

On 29 October 2022, at least 158 people were crushed to death when a crowd surged in an alleyway during Halloween festivities in Seoul's
Itaewon Itaewon (; IPA ) is multi-cultural commercial area located in Seoul, South Korea. it is one of the most popular neighborhoods in Seoul, known for its nightlife and trendy restaurants. Etymology The name Itaewon was originally derived from the ...
district. President Yoon declared a state of official national mourning.


Foreign policy

During his tenure so far, Yoon has made 4 foreign trips. He has met with fellow leaders, such as during the NATO Summit Madrid 2022, becoming the first South Korean leader to do so. He also attended the UN General Assembly and Global Fund's Seventh Replenishment Conference in New York City; he met with U.S. President Joe Biden. During Yoon's tenure, he has experienced various diplomatic gaffes, primarily during foreign visits.


Nancy Pelosi's visit

During
US House Speaker The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the U. ...
Nancy Pelosi's visit to South Korea, part of a larger tour of Asia, on 4 August 2022, Yoon snubbed a meeting with her, stating that he wanted to enjoy his vacation.


Queen Elizabeth's funeral

While in London for the
funeral of Queen Elizabeth II On 8 September 2022, at 15:10 BST, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, and the longest-reigning British monarch, died of old age at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96. The Queen's death w ...
, Yoon’s opponents accused him of disrespect when he missed the chance to view the queen’s coffin lying in state – which he blamed on traffic.


Live mic criticism of US Congress incident

Yoon's People Power Party sued four senior executives of local broadcaster Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, including MBC TV head Park Sung-je, on grounds of defamation after news outlets initially reported that he insulted the US Congress. On 21 September 2022, after chatting with US President Joe Biden outside the seventh
Global Fund The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (or simply the Global Fund) is an international financing and partnership organization that aims to "attract, leverage and invest additional resources to end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, t ...
meeting in New York City, Yoon was filmed telling his aides and top diplomats, "Wouldn't naudiblelose face if these '' saekki'' do not pass it in the legislature?" Although the audio is hard to discern, MBC, who broke the story on air, determined in its subtitles that he said "Biden" in an apparent reference to the latter's bid to increase the American contribution to the
Global Fund The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (or simply the Global Fund) is an international financing and partnership organization that aims to "attract, leverage and invest additional resources to end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, t ...
by $6 billion, an act that would require congressional approval. Yoon's office denies that he was talking about Biden or the US Congress. Instead, it claims that he was expressing concern that his country's opposition-controlled parliament would reject his plans for a $100 million contribution to the same fund, and his press secretary Kim Eun-hye suggested that the word he uttered was not "Biden", but "'' nallimyeon''", a similar-sounding word that means "to blow or waste". The video swiftly went viral, having been viewed repeatedly by millions. The controversy has also brought press freedom in South Korea to the public eye over the PPP's civil conduct involving MBC, with some press freedom groups, including the
International Federation of Journalists The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is the largest global union federation of journalists' trade unions in the world. It represents more than 600,000 media workers from 187 organisations in 146 countries. The IFJ is an associate m ...
, criticizing the lawsuit as politically motivated. A poll of 1,002 adult Koreans found his approval rating falling to 27.7 percent, a 3.7 percent drop from three weeks before, and that the majority (61.2 percent) believed Yoon said "Biden" compared to the 26.9 percent who thought he said "''nallimyeon''", and another poll of 1,000 adult Koreans found an even greater majority (70.8 percent) who said that he should directly apologize for his profanity versus the 27.9 percent who said he did not need to apologize.


Public approval

Less than three months into his presidency, Yoon's approval rating dropped to less than 30 percent amidst the
2021–2022 inflation surge The 2021–2022 inflation surge is the higher-than-average economic inflation throughout much of the world that began in early 2021. It has been attributed to the 2021 global supply chain crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and unexpecte ...
, a controversial education policy rollout (including a proposal to lower the starting elementary school age from six to five), controversies over nepotism in personnel appointments, the police bureau proposal, and conflicts within Yoon's People Power Party. His popularity fell further to 19% in August. In December, Yoon's approval rating rose back to above 40% for the first time in five months.


Political positions

Yoon identifies himself as "
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization ...
".
Chung Doo-un Chung Doo-un (정두언, 6 March 1957 – 16 July 2019) was a South Korean politician who was Vice-Mayor of Seoul from 2000 to 2003. Chung, along with Chu ho-young and Park Heong-joon, was a close associate of President Lee Myung-bak but lat ...
, a former conservative member of parliament, has considered Yoon a conservative. Political commentator
Chin Jung-kwon Chin Jung-kwon (born April 27, 1963) is a South Korean aesthetician, critic, and professor. He was born at Gonghang-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul (presently Gonghang-dong, Gangseo-gu). He has three siblings, two older sisters, and one younger br ...
, who supports Yoon, called his political inclination "
libertarianism Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's en ...
". Yoon opposes economic interventionism by the government. He has cited economist Milton Friedman and Friedman's 1980 book '' Free to Choose: A Personal Statement'' as a major influence on his belief in economic liberalism. On 22 September 2021, Yoon stated that he will ask that the United States redeploy tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea if there is a threat from North Korea. Nuclear weapons have not been deployed by the US in South Korea since the early 1990s, after an agreement with Russia and in an effort to ease tensions between North and South Korea. Speaking for the United States, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Japan and Korea Mark Lambert rejected Yoon's call for the re-nuclearization of South Korea and said the proposal was against U.S. policy.
Zhao Lijian Zhao Lijian (; born 10 November 1972) is a Chinese politician and the deputy director of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Information Department. He is the 31st spokesperson since the position was established in 1983. He joined the forei ...
, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, called Yoon's statement "irresponsible". Yoon will attempt to reduce dependence on China and promote supply chain resilience. On 7 November 2021, Yoon stated that if elected president he would pardon former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, both of whom were serving lengthy prison sentences for corruption (Park Geun-hye was later pardoned by President
Moon Jae-in Moon Jae-in (; ; born 24 January 1953) is a South Korean former politician, civil servant and lawyer who served as the 12th president of South Korea between 2017 and 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs an ...
on 24 December of that same year). On 12 November 2021, Yoon indicated that he would be open to more US THAAD missile deployments in South Korea.


Gender equality policy

President Yoon entered office with a pledge to abolish the
Ministry of Gender Equality and Family The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (), or formerly the Ministry of Gender Equality (여성부, 女性部, ), is a cabinet-level division of the government of South Korea. It was created on February 28, 1998 as the ''Presidential Commissio ...
. This measure came from the unique context of South Korea, where the gender conflict has become very intense. He announced that the new government would not address gender as a collective, but rather focus on and respond to specific individual issues. As of May 2022, there were only three women among the State Councilors of the Yoon Suk-yeol government and only two women among the vice-ministerial level officials, so there is some criticism that the government lacks women's representation. In response to these criticisms, Yoon appointed
Park Soon-ae Park Soon-ae (born 21 April 1965) is a South Korean professor of public policy at Seoul National University who served as Education Minister and ex officio Deputy Prime Minister of Social Affairs under President Yoon Suk-yeol in 2022. She holds ...
as the Minister of Education and Kim Seung-hee as the Minister of Welfare, setting the ratio of female-to-male ministers in the cabinet to 30%. However, Park Soon-ae resigned on 5 August, just 34 days into her tenure; Yoon's approval rating had fallen from 30% to 24%, largely due to public backlash against Park's school reform plans.


Personal life

President Yoon has been married to Kim Keon-hee since 2012. His wife has stated that she prefers the term first spouse instead of the first lady. Kim is the president of Covana Contents, a company that focuses on
art exhibition An art exhibition is traditionally the space in which art objects (in the most general sense) meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhib ...
s. Kim has faced an investigation that alleged the she had taken 'kickbacks' for hosting art exhibitions, in addition to reports that circulated in the South Korean media that she inflated her resume with connections to New York University Stern School of Business. She responded by offering a public apology. Yoon is the fourth South Korean president who is a
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, after his previous predecessors
Moon Jae-in Moon Jae-in (; ; born 24 January 1953) is a South Korean former politician, civil servant and lawyer who served as the 12th president of South Korea between 2017 and 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs an ...
, Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun (a
lapsed Catholic A lapsed Catholic is a Catholic who is non-practicing. Such a person may still identify as a Catholic, and remains one according to canon law. Excommunication or an act of defection only separate a person from the sacraments. Nothing can terminat ...
). He was baptized with the Christian name ''Ambrose''.


Notes


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yoon, Suk-yeol 1960 births 20th-century South Korean lawyers 21st-century South Korean lawyers 21st-century South Korean politicians Conservatism in South Korea Living people Male critics of feminism People from Seoul People Power Party (South Korea) politicians Presidents of South Korea Prosecutors General of South Korea Right-libertarianism Seoul National University School of Law alumni South Korean anti-communists South Korean anti-feminists South Korean Roman Catholics Papyeong Yun clan