South Korea‘s former president Yoon Suk Yeol has left the presidential residence in the capital Seoul, waving to supporters as he donned a red cap emblazoned with the words ‘Make Korea Great Again’.
The not-so-subtle nod to Donald Trump comes after Yoon too was impeached in December last year for imposing martial law in a shocking move that rocked South Korean politics.
Last week, the nation’s Constitutional Court removed the 64-year-old from office and recent days have seen a constant trail of trucks coming to and from the presidential residence carrying Yoon’s belongings – along with all 11 of his dogs and cats – back to his upmarket residence in southern Seoul.
The former president and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, left the presidential compound this morning in a black van surrounded by guards.
The vehicle was greeted by a horde of supporters who carried banners bearing messages like: ‘Your excellency Yoon, we will carry on with your spirit’ and ‘Yoon again’.
Yoon briefly walked among them, shaking hands and embracing dozens of people, before getting back into the vehicle and leaving the site.
Arriving at the apartment complex where his private residence is located, Yoon stepped out of the van again and walked slowly through a second crowd of supporters, shaking their hands as they chanted his name.
But there were hundreds of people who turned out to protest the former president, who is now facing a criminal trial on rebellion charges punishable by death or life imprisonment.
‘Give Yoon Suk Yeol the death penalty!’ their banners read.
In a public message, Yoon expressed gratitude to those who had protested for months calling for his reinstatement and stressed that he will ‘continue to do my utmost’ to build the ‘free and prosperous Republic of Korea that we have dreamed of together.’
South Korea’s ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol leaves the presidential residence in Seoul, South Korea, 11 April 2025
South Korea’s ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol leaves the presidential residence in Seoul, South Korea, 11 April 2025
Supporters of South Korea’s ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol hold placards reading ‘Yoon Again’ as they gather on a street near the presidential residence in Seoul on April 11, 2025
South Korea’s ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol waves to supporters from his car as he leaves the official residence in Seoul, South Korea, 11 April 2025
The not-so-subtle nod to Donald Trump (pictured) comes after Yoon too was impeached in December last year for imposing martial law in a shocking move that rocked South Korean politics
Yoon, a conservative who narrowly won the 2022 election, declared martial law on late-night television on December 3.
He justified his imposition of martial law by claiming it was necessary to eradicate ‘anti-state’ liberals whom he accused of abusing their legislative majority to obstruct his agenda.
Yoon also declared a suspension of legislative activities and sent hundreds of troops to surround the National Assembly, but lawmakers still managed to form a quorum and voted to lift martial law just hours after it was imposed.
Once the martial law was lifted, Yoon’s downfall was rapid.
His powers were suspended after the Assembly impeached him on December 14.
And the Constitutional Court upheld impeachment and formally removed him from office last week, triggering a presidential election the government set for June 3.
Yoon’s actions ‘violate the core principles of the rule of law and democratic governance,’ the judges said in their ruling.
Sending armed soldiers to parliament in a bid to prevent lawmakers from voting down his decree ‘violated the political neutrality of the armed forces’.
He deployed troops for ‘political purposes’, the judges said.
‘In the end, the respondent’s unconstitutional and illegal acts are a betrayal of the people’s trust and constitute a serious violation of the law that cannot be tolerated,’ the judges ruled.
Despite his self-inflicted fall from grace, it’s unlikely that Yoon will fade into the background, experts say.
With the country entering election mode, he may try to rally his supporters while seeking to tighten his grip on the conservative People Power Party, whose leadership is stacked with loyalists.
Facing the criminal trial on rebellion charges, Yoon would strongly prefer a conservative president who could pardon him if convicted and is likely to push to ensure the party’s primaries are won by a candidate he supports.
Yoon, 64, was suspended by lawmakers over his December 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule (pictured on December 3)
Soldiers advance to the main building of the National Assembly after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in Seoul, South Korea, December 3, 2024
People, gathered in front of the National Assembly Building, protest following the declaration of martial law in Seoul, South Korea on December 4
That candidate will face down opposition politician Lee Jae-myung, who is currently the frontrunner in pre-election polls.
Lee announced his policy roadmap as Yoon left the presidential residence, declaring he would help South Korea recover from the recent political turmoil.
In a video message, he said that Yoon’s martial law saga exposed the country’s deep divisions and social conflicts, and argued that the root cause was a widening rich-poor gap.
He promised aggressive government spending to jolt economic growth and ease income polarisation.
‘We have more than we did in the past, but wealth is too concentrated in certain areas,’ Lee said.
‘With economic growth rates declining worldwide, it has become difficult to maintain and develop an economy solely on the strength of the private sector. However, with government-led talent development and extensive investments in technological research and development, we can revive the economy.’
He added it was crucial to maintain a robust alliance with the United States and to pursue three-way cooperation with Japan, but he stressed that South Korea’s national interest should come first in ‘every decision.’
Lee narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election but staged a political comeback as the leader of the liberal Democratic Party.
He has served as a lawmaker, provincial governor and city mayor, and has won supporters by positioning himself as an anti-elitist.
But his critics view him as a populist who stokes division while failing to offer realistic funding plans to achieve his ambitious goals.
He recently stepped down as the party chair to focus on his presidential campaign.