{"id":2207922,"date":"2025-01-13T15:30:06","date_gmt":"2025-01-13T06:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2207922"},"modified":"2025-01-13T15:30:06","modified_gmt":"2025-01-13T06:30:06","slug":"south-koreas-conservative-media-battles-irrelevance-amid-martial-law-fallout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/01\/south-koreas-conservative-media-battles-irrelevance-amid-martial-law-fallout\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea\u2019s conservative media battles irrelevance amid martial law fallout"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korea\u2019s conservative movement is fracturing in the wake of President Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s controversial declaration of martial law, as the nation\u2019s leading conservative media outlets distance themselves from his administration.<\/span><\/p>\n Following his Dec. 3 martial law declaration, Yoon\u2019s approval rating plummeted to <\/span>11%<\/span><\/a> in one poll. Even traditionally supportive outlets such as <\/span>Chosun Ilbo<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>Dong-A Ilbo<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Joongang Ilbo<\/span><\/i> have publicly criticized Yoon, signaling a deeper rift within the conservative establishment.<\/span><\/p>\n While Yoon has experienced a resurgence of support among some conservative voters, with one poll showing a <\/span>40% approval rating<\/span><\/a>, this revival has been clouded by questions of <\/span>bias<\/span><\/a> and methodology.<\/span><\/p>\n Regardless of the exact percentage, a significant minority of Koreans do clearly still support him. For instance, a number of pro-Yoon supporters were spotted holding \u201c<\/span>Stop the Steal<\/span><\/a>\u201d signs that were written in English in front of the presidential residence, echoing Yoon\u2019s claims of election fraud and Donald Trump\u2019s post-2020 election rhetoric.<\/span><\/p>\n However, the conservative legacy media\u2019s unwillingness to support Yoon\u2019s <\/span>claims of election fraud<\/span><\/a> and rhetoric about anti-state forces raises pressing questions: Is South Korea\u2019s conservative movement headed for a significant split and could a South Korean equivalent of the U.S. \u201cNever Trump\u201d movement emerge to counter Yoon\u2019s populist rhetoric?<\/span><\/p>\n CONSERVATIVE MEDIA TURNS ON YOON<\/b><\/p>\n South Korea\u2019s leading conservative newspapers have criticized Yoon for months, even before his martial law declaration. These outlets often publish a mix of individual opinion pieces and official editorials reflecting their institutional stance. A review of recent editorials highlights their dissatisfaction with Yoon\u2019s leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n After the ruling People Power Party\u2019s (PPP) loss in the April 2024 general election, both the <\/span>Dong-A Ilbo<\/span><\/i><\/a> and <\/span>Chosun Ilbo<\/span><\/i><\/a> attributed the party\u2019s defeat to Yoon\u2019s \u201carrogant and uncommunicative\u201d leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n In November, Yoon\u2019s attempt to address public dissatisfaction by apologizing for his wife\u2019s various scandals was met with skepticism. The <\/span>Joongang Ilbo<\/span><\/i><\/a> derided his response, likening it to \u201ca prescription for antacids when emergency surgery was needed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The fallout intensified following Yoon\u2019s martial law declaration. On Dec. 4, the <\/span>Chosun Ilbo<\/span><\/i> argued<\/span><\/a> that while martial law is constitutionally permissible during emergencies, \u201calmost no one in Korea thinks we are in such a situation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The<\/span> Dong-A Ilbo<\/span><\/i> condemned<\/span><\/a> Yoon\u2019s labeling of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) as \u201canti-state forces\u201d as undemocratic, while the <\/span>Joongang Ilbo<\/span><\/i> argued that Yoon had <\/span>no justification<\/span><\/a> to refuse to cooperate with investigations into the legality of his actions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, the media\u2019s criticism of Yoon does not equate to support for the DP. The conservative outlets have also targeted the DP\u2019s decision to <\/span>exclude insurrection charges<\/span><\/a> from Yoon\u2019s impeachment motion and criticized the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials\u2019 attempt to arrest the president for <\/span>overreach<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite this, the traditional conservative media has taken a firm stance against Yoon\u2019s martial law declaration and are supportive of efforts to bring him to justice.<\/span><\/p>\n