Guest post by Kim Yu-jin, Citizen of South Korea
Can you imagine a former president and first lady jailed at the same time — and the personal data of 5 million citizens seized by the regime?
In 2025, this nightmare has become my reality. This is not justice.
It is a planned political purge that should alarm everyone who values freedom, the rule of law, and the U.S.-Korea alliance.
A First in History — and a Dangerous Precedent
On January 19, 2025, former President Yoon Suk-yeol was arrested on vague “evidence tampering” charges.
Prosecutors alleged he tried to conceal certain records, yet presented no clear evidence or case outline.
He was detained for 52 days until March 8, when a court ruled his detention had “seriously violated his right to legal defense” and ordered his release.
But the authorities ignored this ruling. On July 10, Yoon was arrested again on nearly identical charges. The court rejected his appeal and sent him back to prison — raising serious concerns of double jeopardy and judicial abuse.
Then, on August 12, something never before seen in South Korea’s democracy occurred. Former First Lady Kim Keon-hee was immediately jailed on the order of the Seoul Southern District Court.
The warrant was issued without sufficient investigation or evidence — based solely on a claim of “possible evidence destruction.” Legal experts inside and outside Korea agree this decision fails to meet both domestic and international standards of justice.
The simultaneous jailing of a former president and first lady is no coincidence. It is a political move to eliminate all opposition.
Targeting the Lifeline of the Opposition — 5 Million Party Members
On the same day, prosecutors raided the headquarters of the People Power Party (PPP), the main opposition, and demanded the full membership list of roughly 5 million people — including names, political affiliations, and joining records.
This brazen act directly violates:
- The South Korean Constitution, which guarantees party independence
- The Personal Information Protection Act, which bans processing political affiliation data without consent
- The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects freedom of association and privacy
Such data could be exploited for election surveillance, personal intimidation, and targeting of political dissidents. In effect, it lays the foundation for a surveillance and intimidation regime designed to silence citizens.
Cruel and Inhumane Detention Conditions
The persecution does not end with arrest.
Former President Yoon is confined in a tiny 5.6㎡ (60 sq. ft.) solitary cell with no air conditioning during a brutal heatwave. Lights are kept on 24 hours a day, and ventilation is extremely poor.
His health is deteriorating. His doctor warned of “imminent risk of blindness” from an untreated eye condition, while his diabetes has worsened.
Yet he has been denied timely medical treatment. Care has been restricted and delayed, and even during external hospital visits he was forced to wear electronic shackles and handcuffs.
He has also been denied access to Mors H. Tan, a human rights lawyer and former U.N. ambassador.
Such treatment meets the U.N. definition of “cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.” Under the Mandela Rules, the state is obligated to provide proper medical care, humane living conditions, and access to legal counsel — all of which have been blatantly ignored in Yoon’s case.
The Political Intent Is Clear
This is not an accident, nor an isolated case. Analysts call it nothing less than a “roadmap to authoritarianism.”
The strategy is clear:
- Remove Yoon from the political stage before the next election.
- Neutralize Kim Keon-hee as a symbol of resistance.
- Intimidate the conservative base by seizing the data of 5 million party members.
Every step points to a coordinated plan to eliminate the opposition.
Voices of Warning Inside Korea
This is not only my view. Prominent figures across South Korea are sounding the alarm.
Conservative leaders such as Kim Moon-soo and Na Kyung-won have condemned the detentions as “grave human rights violations” and “political retaliation.”
The People Power Party leadership declared the demand for the full membership list illegal.
Legal scholars are calling for Global Magnitsky sanctions to bring international pressure on the regime.
Why the World Must Act
South Korea is America’s frontline ally in the defense of freedom. Yet its government is now employing the same authoritarian tactics we have seen elsewhere — arbitrary detention, suppression of opposition, and intimidation of political supporters.
This is not just a Korean problem. In Turkey, Erdogan’s regime repeatedly jailed opposition politicians to rig elections. In Hungary, Viktor Orbán has crushed media and party independence to entrench one-party rule. If such a precedent is allowed to stand in South Korea, authoritarian tactics will spread across Asia.
And make no mistake: political prosecutions of opponents is a trend that resonates beyond Asia. Many Americans fear similar abuses of power at home. What happens in Seoul should serve as a warning to Washington.
A Plea to the International Community
I urge governments, the media, and human rights organizations around the world:
Demand the immediate release of former President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee.
Bring this case to the U.N. Human Rights Council.
Shine international media attention on these abuses.
Silence will be read as consent. If this becomes normalized in South Korea, it will soon be exported elsewhere.
As a citizen of South Korea, I watch with outrage, shock, and fear for my country’s future. But I also believe that international attention can bring change.
That is why I speak now. And I ask you to raise your voice as well.
Freedom does not survive on its own. It survives only when defended. The time to defend it is now.
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