Squid games in South Korea

The current political climate in South Korea is increasingly defined by a politics of elimination - the idea that democratic enemies must be sacrificed for the greater good.

- JOSEPH YI AND WONDONG LEE

However, this approach is neither grounded in empirical reality nor conducive to a stable and functioning government capable of addressing crises at home and abroad.

In the second season of Netflix's hit series "Squid Game" (spoiler alert), the protagonist sacrifices innocent players to eliminate the true enemy. A similar dynamic is unfolding in South Korea, where the opposition-dominated parliament's unprecedented impeachment of acting President Han Duk-soo on December 27, and President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration on December 3, reflect a similar calculus. This politics of "militant democracy" (Karl Loewenstein, 1937) is presented as necessary for safeguarding the nation, but it undermines both democratic norms and effective governance.

On December 3, Yoon issued a short-lived martial law declaration - the first in South Korea since the military dictatorship era of 1979-1980. His move was driven by allegations that his political opponents had engaged in "budgetary tyranny," turning the National Assembly into a "legislative dictatorship" and a "den of criminals," even suggesting collaboration with "North Korean communist forces."

While Yoon acknowledged that martial law could inconvenience law-abiding citizens who support democratic values, he assured that efforts would be made to minimize such disruptions. Yet, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, speaking just before the martial law declaration, warned that this could wreak havoc on the economy.