Born in Seoul on December 18, 1960, the son of a couple of academics, he spent his entire career in the public prosecutor's office. He played a key role in the investigation into abuse of power and corruption which led to the impeachment in 2017 of President Park Geun-hye and then her incarceration. The same year, he was appointed chief prosecutor of Seoul. Under his leadership, the prosecution indicted around a hundred senior officials, including former president Lee Myung-bak, for embezzlement of all kinds. Several suspects commit suicide.
“Break the door and take them out, even if it means shooting”: the South Korean president authorized the army to open fire on Parliament
Yoon Suk-yeol was appointed attorney general of the country in 2019. Two years later, riding on his popularity, he resigned, announced his candidacy for the presidential election and joined the People's Power Party (PPP, right).
A self-confessed anti-feminist, he promises to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality. A commitment that he will never be able to honor due to lack of a parliamentary majority.
At the end of an ultra-polarized campaign, the PPP candidate was elected in 2022 with the narrowest margin in the country's history.
Once in power, this declared admirer of Winston Churchill pursued a firm policy towards North Korea and strengthened the alliance with the United States. He is also getting closer to Japan, attracting discontent in a country where resentment against the former colonial power remains strong.
Political crisis in South Korea: two dismissals and the Constitutional Court under pressure
His reputation was then quickly tarnished by a series of scandals. Starting with the Halloween stampede in Seoul in October 2022 which left more than 150 dead. The tragedy is attributed to a cascade of negligence on the part of the authorities.
Other scandals impacting the first lady rubbed off on him and his popular support eroded at high speed. The rest is known…
