Ex-President Yoon still causing concern with his ‘residence politics’ ahead of presidential election

South Korea’s unprecedented political turmoil has entered a new phase with the court’s verdict that upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed attempt to place the nation under martial law in December 2024.

As the country is now set to elect a new president on June 3, presidential hopefuls are taking steps to launch their bids officially. But there is one person whom neither the ruling nor the opposition parties can afford to ignore: former President Yoon, who could still exert influence on politics.

On Friday, Yoon left the presidential residence to return to his private home in southern Seoul. He departed a week after South Korea’s Constitutional Court unanimously voted to remove him from office on April 4.

Yoon did not issue a formal message acknowledging the court’s decision to dismiss him. Instead, the legal team for Yoon issued a statement expressing his gratitude for those who supported him “day and night” in the past months.

“Now I will return as one of the people of the Republic of Korea and find a new path for the country and its people,” Yoon said in the statement, seen as a signal of his resolve to firm up his support base and chart a new course as a politician.

Yoon showed no sign of regret or remorse about the consequences of his reckless imposition of martial law that plunged the nation into chaos overnight. Before leaving the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yoon eagerly shook hands with and hugged supporters individually. After the ride back to his private residence in Seocho-dong, Yoon put on a red hat with the words “Make Korea Great Again” handed to him by a supporter and raised his hand in greeting to the cheers of his supporters.

Given his official stance and his actions, Yoon — though now a private citizen rather than a sitting head of state — is feared to maintain his grip on the ruling People Power Party by maintaining a strong public presence post-presidency, in what is called “residence politics,” where power is exercised behind closed doors.

Even after his dismissal, Yoon reportedly held discussions with senior figures from the People Power Party, offering his views on the upcoming presidential election and the broader political developments, fueling controversy over his continued political meddling.

Yoon should realize that his attempts to influence the People Power Party’s nomination process — or even the presidential race itself — can be interpreted as a means of engineering a political comeback. In addition, such moves could risk deepening the divisions already plaguing South Korean society.

Despite his political ambitions, Yoon faces a rocky course in connection with his martial law declaration. Yoon, who no longer enjoys constitutional immunity from prosecution, has to defend himself in a criminal trial on charges of insurrection, which begins Monday. Prosecutors may yet add allegations of abuse of power and obstruction of official duties, which in turn could lead to further investigations. This is no time for either Yoon or his wife Kim Keon Hee to act with anything less than the utmost circumspection.

Against this backdrop, it is regrettable that Yoon maintains ties with presidential hopefuls of the People Power Party. Lee Cheol-woo, governor of North Gyeongsang Province and five-term lawmaker Na Kyung-won declared their presidential bids last week. Both had met with Yoon, highlighting his continued political relevance. Former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, who also joined the presidential race, even disclosed a phone call with Yoon.

Polling suggests that a majority of South Koreans view Yoon’s declaration of martial law as a grave misstep and now favor regime change. Yoon must not meddle in the presidential election, and the presidential candidates of the People Power Party should rethink the risks of relying on Yoon’s residence politics.