The Legacy of Division: South Korea's Political Landscape Post-Yoon Suk Yeol

As Yoon Suk Yeol's presidency concludes amid impeachment, South Korea finds itself in a deeper divide, with right-wing factions energized by online influencers promoting conspiracy theories and violence.

Pained cries echoed outside former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's official residence as supporters gathered after the Constitutional Court confirmed his impeachment on Friday. "I believed we would win ... It's unjust," lamented 64-year-old Won Bog-sil, amidst a sea of demonstrators, many of whom expressed their grievances on YouTube—an increasingly influential platform leveraged by Yoon himself.

Stripped of power, Yoon's turbulent past has left behind a nation laced with divisions that run deeper than before. His declaration of martial law last December marked a turning point, alienating large segments of society yet galvanizing a dedicated, vocal segment of his base. Many fervent supporters interpret Yoon's legal travails as evidence of his status as a victim—a belief strongly echoed by right-wing YouTubers who traffic in narratives claiming that martial law was a necessary move against an alleged pro-North Korea opposition.

Evidence of increasing radicalization among right-wing supporters is stark: “Stop the Steal” slogans have resurfaced at rallies, mirroring movements from the Trump era in the United States. Recent acts of violence, including the storming of a courthouse and the tragic self-immolation of a protestor, signal a troubling trend within the conservative milieu, alarming even long-standing members of the political right.

Yoon's embrace of conservative YouTube influencers has fostered a culture immersed in conspiracies, with accusations of election fraud swirling around his supporters. This sentiment resonates deeply within an online community suspicious of traditional media and concerned about threats perceived from neighboring states.

Amid his supporters' fervor, Yoon’s party, the PPP, has paradoxically gained traction, with popularity surging following his controversial governance. This resilience has confounded analysts, with Michael Breen, a Seoul-based consultant, suggesting that Yoon’s actions have paradoxically united a historically fragmented conservative base against a common adversary—the Democratic Party.

Heated debates within the PPP have surfaced, reflecting profound ideological rifts. Lawmakers find themselves caught between supporting impeachment initiatives and aligning with the pro-Yoon sentiment that has morphed into a quasi-cult of personality. Yet the aggressive rhetoric propagated by both the right and left raises concerns of further radicalization and division in South Korea.

As the political climate becomes increasingly fraught, experts caution that the polarization driven by Yoon's tenure might complicate future governance efforts. "What’s being deepened is the chasm—not just within parties but throughout civil society itself," remarked US-based lawyer and Korea expert Christopher Jumin Lee, underscoring the difficulties ahead for any faction attempting to bridge these growing divides.