Relocation of presidential office On 20 March 2022, Yoon announced that he would establish his presidential office in the
Ministry of National Defense building in
Yongsan District, Seoul, instead of the
Blue House, which opened to the public as a park on 10 May 2022. Newspaper
The Hankyoreh accused Yoon of being frequently late to work, while sending decoy vehicles near 9:00 a.m., when work starts for governmental workers.
Economic policy In 2023, Yoon attempted to raise South Korea's maximum weekly working hours from 52 to 69. However, widespread backlash, especially from the youth, led him to order government agencies to reconsider the plan. The
minimum wage for 2025 was set at 10,030 won per hour. Some labor representatives walked out in protest, saying the increase rate was too low, but most management and public interest representatives voted to adopt the minimum wage at 10,030 won.
Fiscal policy stance Yoon administration emphasized sound fiscal policy and declared fiscal austerity policy. According to , Yoon Suk Yeol government considered that the national debt increased rapidly due to the expanded fiscal management of the previous government. Yoon declared to stabilize the rate of increase in national debt and improve the government's deficit to secure 'fiscal sustainability'. Yoon administration announced a plan to reform the fiscal rules proposed by the previous government into a "simpler and stricter fiscal rule." First, the administration simplified the management indicators, which had previously been based on a complex calculation formula. The management indicator was revised from the Consolidated fiscal balance to the stricter 'managed fiscal balance'. It excludes social security fund balance—which is currently in surplus—from the Consolidated Fiscal Balance. This change aimed to provide a more accurate reflection of the nation's fiscal reality and enable stricter management. Furthermore, the new fiscal rule aimed to enhance legal enforceability by incorporating it into a 'law'. The new fiscal rule also includes an exemption for situations where it is difficult to apply the rule; however, unlike before, the rule will be immediately reapplied once the crisis ends. Under its fiscal austerity policy, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration has asserted that government borrowing is inappropriate and that private investment should be encouraged instead. It aimed to establish a private-sector-led economy by using market autonomy and dynamism as drivers of economic growth. For example, the government committed 4.5 trillion KRW to key strategic technologies such as semiconductors and quantum, with a specific allocation of 1 trillion KRW to the semiconductor industry, demonstrating a strong intent to foster related talent and core technology development. Budgets supporting promising domestic venture companies and small business owners were also increased. Additionally, several tax reduction policies targeting businesses were implemented to enhance corporate competitiveness. In July 2022, the administration announced a tax reform plan that included easing corporate tax rates and adjusting tax base. The government proposal aimed to reduce the top corporate tax rate from 25% to 22% and apply a special preferential rate of 10% to small and medium-sized enterprises with a tax base of 500 million KRW or less. (Previously, companies with a tax base exceeding 200 million KRW were subject to a 20% tax rate.) This proposal was later amended during its passage through the National Assembly, resulting in a 1% reduction across all existing tax bases, rather than the government's initial plan. Also the government announced a proposal to expand the eligibility criteria for 'business succession tax deductions' and increase the deduction limits, aiming to facilitate smoother generational transitions for small and medium-sized companies. As a result, in 2023, the deduction amount for mid-sized enterprises surged by approximately 600% compared to 2022, reaching about 188.9 billion KRW. Small and medium-sized enterprises also saw their deduction amounts double compared to 2022.
Austerity policies, by their nature, aim to reduce government expenditure and are typically pursued in conjunction with tax increase policies. Yoon administration also announced in its National Fiscal Management Plan that it would rationalize non-taxable and exemption systems and continue efforts to expand the tax base by strengthening the management of tax avoidance. However, the reduction of corporate tax and the expansion of business succession tax deductions, adopted under the government's stance of avoiding borrowing and instead stimulating private investment, were criticized as being contradictory to its fiscal austerity policy.
Energy policy Responding to widespread public concerns after the
Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, President
Moon Jae-in decided to gradually phase out
nuclear power in South Korea. However, the nuclear policy was again reversed in 2023 by President Yoon Suk Yeol, resuming construction of nuclear reactors and expanding nuclear output to 34.6% share of South Korea's electricity generation by 2036. Yoon pledged to boost nuclear energy use and reduce
carbon emissions by 40% from 2018 levels by 2030. On 17 July 2024, the
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power won the tender for the construction of two new units at
Dukovany Nuclear Power Station in the Czech Republic. Yoon said: "We will use the Czech nuclear project as a stepping stone to further expand export opportunities for our nuclear industry."
Gender equality policy Following an anti-feminist backlash in 2022, Yoon has acted in opposition to feminism in order to appeal to
young men. Yoon has also said that structural sexism no longer exists in South Korea. He entered office with a pledge to abolish the
Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Political conflict related to issues of gender was intense in South Korea in 2022. He announced that the new government would not address gender as a collective issue but rather focus on and respond to specific individual issues. As of May 2022, there were only three women among the
State Councilors of the
Yoon Suk Yeol government and only two women among the vice-ministerial level officials. This was criticized as a lack of women's representation in the government. In response to these criticisms, Yoon appointed
Park Soon-ae as the Minister of Education and Kim Seung-hee as the Minister of Welfare, increasing the ratio of female-to-male ministers in the cabinet to 30%. However, Park Soon-ae resigned on 5 August, just 34 days into her tenure, and Yoon's approval rating had fallen from 30% to 24%, largely due to public backlash against Park's school reform plans.
2022 police bureau proposal In late July 2022, Yoon proposed the creation of a "police bureau" in order to ensure greater government oversight of the police force. In response, several police officers protested, claiming the measure was a dictatorial measure to compromise the political neutrality of the police. In response to the protests,
Lee Sang-min, Yoon's Interior Minister, compared them to the 1979
Coup d'état of December Twelfth, though he later walked back the remarks. Yoon himself also criticized the protests, saying, "Like many, I am also deeply concerned about the collective protest of the police chiefs", and calling it a "serious breach" of police discipline.
2022 Seoul crowd crush On 29 October 2022, at least 158 people were crushed to death when a crowd surged in an alleyway during
Halloween festivities in Seoul's
Itaewon district. Yoon declared a state of official national mourning. His handling of the crowd crush garnered criticism.
Medical crisis On 6 February 2024, Yoon announced that the enrollment quota for medical students would be increased from 3,058 to 5,058 students per academic year from 2025 onward. The quota had last been fixed in 2006. They argued that the planned increase would not resolve the issues of inadequate manpower in rural areas but would increase the inequality of medical care between rural and urban areas. Yoon gave an hour-long nation address to reaffirm the quota increase and appeal to the public. The government labeled the collective criticism and social advocacy of medical students, residents, and doctors as "doctors' illegal collective actions" and declared a national healthcare crisis of the highest risk level. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for Doctors' Collective Actions, led by the Prime Minister, was then established. The Emergency Response Headquarters conducted daily public briefings. Pro-government advertisements featured the president's commitment and included promotional videos in movie theater displays on public buses and subways, while screens inside apartment elevators criticized "emergency room ping-pong" and "pediatric clinic open run". Doctors and the medical community were portrayed as a self-serving cartel, a characterization cemented by the president in a national address.
2024 parliamentary elections The opposition's landslide victory in the
2024 parliamentary elections put Yoon in an even weaker position. The PPP obtained 108 seats, 36% of the National Assembly, while the main opposition party, the DPK, won 175 seats in total. The remaining 17 seats are held by the other members of the 22nd Assembly. Some have spoken of Yoon as a "lame duck" following the major defeat. resigned following the defeat; several other major government figures also presented their resignation, including Yoon's Prime Minister
Han Duck-soo. Yoon boycotted the opening of the inaugural session of the
new National Assembly on 2 September, making him the first South Korean leader not to attend the ceremony since the restoration of democracy in 1988. His office said that he did not attend saying that the chamber "overissues demands for special prosecutor investigations and impeachments".
Foreign policy in
Vilnius, Lithuania In December 2022, the Yoon administration announced the
Indo-Pacific Strategy, a comprehensive strategy that encompasses the economic and security spheres of
Indo-Pacific countries: "We (South Korea) will work [towards] a regional order that enables a different set of countries to cooperate and procedures together." On 25 July 2023, Yoon visited Ukraine after visiting
Lithuania and
Poland for the
NATO summit. He visited
Bucha and
Irpin, cities near the capital city of
Kyiv. He also held the
2023 South Korea-Pacific Islands Summit and the
2024 South Korea-Africa Summit for the first time and has also been promoting the Korea-Central Asia Summit. Additionally, Yoon has visited the United States and considered sending weapons to
Ukraine following the
invasion by Russia. meeting in
New York City In October 2023, Yoon condemned the
October 7 attacks. He sought to strengthen
relations with Saudi Arabia and supported the participation of South Korean companies in
Saudi Arabia's
Neom smart city project. In February 2024, South Korea and Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding to expand defense cooperation. As of December 2023, during his tenure so far, Yoon has made trips to twenty-six countries. He has met with fellow leaders, such as during the
NATO Summit Madrid 2022,
APEC Summit,
G20, and
G7. Yoon later attended the NATO summit in Lithuania the following year. He also attended the
United Nations General Assembly and Global Fund's Seventh Replenishment Conference in
New York City; he additionally met with U.S. President Joe Biden.
G7 Although South Korea is not a member of the
G7, it is being considered as a potential next member if the G7 expands; it has also been promoting the G7 Plus initiative. At the G7 summit in May 2023, Yoon met with the leaders of the
Quad nations and called for addressing regional challenges and providing infrastructure and development assistance. In his speech to G7 members, Yoon stressed South Korea's continued commitment to maintaining the international rule of law and the need to protect Ukraine's freedom and peace.
United States in the
Oval Office, April 2023 During
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to South Korea on 4 August 2022, which was part of a larger tour of Asia, Yoon snubbed a meeting with her, stating that he wanted to enjoy his vacation. In April 2023, Yoon and First Lady Kim Keon Hee were invited to the U.S. by politicians
Kevin McCarthy and
Chuck Schumer. On 25 April, Yoon and Kim arrived in
Washington, D.C. to mark 70 years of the alliance between the Republic of Korea and the United States. In a speech to the U.S. Congress on 27 April, Yoon proclaimed "we know that no matter where you sit, you stand with Korea", adding that the South Korea-U.S. relationship is "stronger than ever". and Secretary of State
Antony Blinken on 27 April 2023 According to a
Yonhap article published on 7 November 2024, Yoon had a 12-minute phone call with the US president-elect
Donald Trump where they talked about trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and Japan, as well as the North Korean situation involving Ukraine. Despite Trump's declaration that he will
end the war in Ukraine, one analyst argued that Yoon is making a mistake by leaving open the possibility of providing defense weapons to Ukraine. Some have opined that if the United States completely stops supporting Ukraine, South Korea could be left alone in the war in Ukraine with Russia as its enemy. In addition, some have claimed that if Trump sets out to improve relations with North Korea, the South Korean government's position could be extremely limited in a situation where
inter-Korea relations have weakened to the point where North Korea has declared two hostile countries.
North Korea Since Yoon's inauguration in 2022, Yoon's administration has continued to make strong statements and take hard-line policies against North Korea. During these period, North and South Korean relations have been described as having rapidly regressed, with military confrontation intensifying and dialogue channels effectively blocked. On 15 August 2022, marking the
National Liberation Day of Korea, Yoon unveiled a plan that could include a "large-scale food program", as well as plans to improve North Korea air and sea ports, enhance agricultural productivity, strengthen health care infrastructure and attract foreign investment on the condition North Korea takes "genuine and substantive" moves towards denuclearization. In November 2023, Yoon's government suspended South Korea's participation in the Comprehensive Agreement Pact – a pact aimed at lowering tensions between South and North Korea – after North Korea launched
a satellite into space. On 15 August 2024, Yoon outlined his policy on
Korean reunification, calling for a "unified Republic of Korea"; this was the first time this term was used by a South Korean administration. It was seen as South Korea's most explicit policy statement to date in support of unification by absorption, referring to unifying the
Korean Peninsula under the Republic of Korea. He called on efforts to increase support among North Koreans for a "freedom-based unification", which he said would be done by expanding efforts to increase North Korean people's access to information.
Japan on 16 March 2023. Yoon has been accused of having a pro-Japanese stance on historical issues and colonialism by
liberals and some conservative politicians in South Korea. In particular, some have criticized Yoon's government close relationship with the "far-right" Japanophilic New Right movement. Yoon's government has not sought direct compensation or apology from the Japanese government and companies for victims of
forced labor, a
war crime committed by the
Empire of Japan government and Japanese companies during
World War II. Instead, Yoon's government has expressed its stance to receive voluntary donations from South Korean companies through a third-party foundation as a solution to the 2018 South Korean Supreme Court ruling which demanded compensation from the Japanese government and companies for past war crimes against victims who were forcibly recruited by the Japanese Empire during World War II. The DPK criticized this, stating "it tramples on the victims and represents the interests of Japanese corporations". The Justice Party (JP) also joined the DPK in "declarations of the state of affairs" () to criticize Yoon's government. As of March 2023, 11 of the 15 surviving victims opposed Yoon's government's solution and demanded direct compensation from the Japanese government and companies. at the 2024 China-Japan-South Korea trilateral summit on 27 May 2024 Yoon's remarks at a commemorative event related to the
Samiljeol (3.1 절 or 삼일절), 1 March 2023 caused a great controversy in South Korea.
Samiljeol is a national holiday that celebrates Koreans' spirit of resistance to regain their identity from colonial Japan. Yoon said, "Korea lost its national sovereignty and suffered because it was not properly prepared for historical changes in the world at the time, and we should reflect on this past." The remarks drew criticism from the opposition parties in the South Korea as "
Chinil" (), "colonialist historical perspective" (), and "pro-Japanese highly submissive diplomacy" (); Yoon was compared to
Lee Wan-yong. The DPK and the JP also strongly criticized his remarks. On 16 March 2023, Prime Minister
Fumio Kishida held a summit with Yoon in Tokyo to settle wartime labor disputes among other issues. Yoon also met with
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) leader
Kenta Izumi who discussed several bilateral disputes between the countries with Yoon including the
Statue of Peace, which Izumi asked Yoon to remove. and Japanese Prime Minister
Shigeru Ishiba in November 2024 On 7 May 2023, Kishida visited Seoul in a historic trip to further deepen ties. Yoon emphasized that historical issues had to be "completely settled". Kishida also expressed sympathy to Korean victims of colonial Japan. However, Kishida was criticized by many South Korean media because he did not "apologize" for forced labor victims during World War II and did not mention Japan's responsibility for war crimes. Some South Korean politicians also expressed strong dissatisfaction that Kishida did not apologize. Yoon and Kishida met with Biden on 18 August 2023 at
Camp David in the United States. The three announced the
Camp David Principles, a set of strategies to counter the influence of China, North Korea, and Russia as well as limit the risk of economic disruptions in the future. Some sources criticized the compromise between the Japanese
LDP and Yoon governments to list
Sado mine as a
World Heritage Site, which distorted history by removing direct references to "
forced labor" by Koreans.
Ukraine at the
2024 NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., 11 July 2024 In a
Reuters interview on 19 April 2023, Yoon hinted at supplying
lethal aid to Ukraine, stating that "If there is a situation the international community cannot condone, such as any large-scale attack on civilians, massacre or serious violation of the laws of war, it might be difficult for us to insist only on humanitarian or financial support." Previously, South Korea had only provided humanitarian and economic aid to Ukraine. Yoon linked the struggle in Ukraine to the
Korean War when the international community supported South Korea. He added, "I believe there won't be limitations to the extent of the support to defend and restore a country that's been illegally invaded both under international and domestic law. However, considering our relationship with the parties engaged in the war and developments in the battlefield, we will take the most appropriate measures." In response, former Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev suggested that Russia could supply North Korea on a "
quid pro quo" basis. The DPK, JP, and
Progressive Party, along with other liberal and
progressive parties, opposed the Yoon administration's policy toward Ukraine, fearing that his pro-Ukraine diplomacy would lead to Russia supporting North Korea's weapons and South Korean companies being penalized by Russia's economic sanctions. On 7 November 2024, Yoon suggested that South Korea could provide weapons to Ukraine. However, the South Korean public was widely opposed to direct arms supplies to Ukraine.
Africa In his welcoming speech to the Africa Night held in Seoul in November 2022, President Yoon said that "Africa is a land of new opportunity", indicating his intention to strengthen cooperation with Africa. The event was attended by African ambassadors and nominees from 31 countries, and President
William Ruto of Kenya. Yoon also held summit with the leaders of the
Central African Republic,
Nigeria,
Gabon, and
Kenya in 2022. To accelerate the push for a South Korea-Africa
FTA, Yoon said he would invite African leaders to a
special summit in South Korea in 2024. "The existing ministerial-level Korea-Africa Forum will be upgraded to the head of state", he added.
Controversies MBC lawsuit The PPP sued four senior executives of broadcaster
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, including
MBC TV head Park Sung-je, on grounds of
defamation after news outlets initially reported that Yoon insulted the U.S. Congress. On 21 September 2022, after chatting with U.S. President
Joe Biden outside the seventh
Global Fund meeting in New York City, Yoon was filmed telling his aides and top diplomats, "Wouldn't [inaudible] lose face if these
saekki do not pass it in the legislature?" Although the audio is hard to discern, MBC, which broke the story on air, determined in its subtitles that he said "Biden" in an apparent reference to the latter's bid to increase the American contribution to the Global Fund by $6billion, an act that would require congressional approval. Yoon's office denies that he was talking about Biden or the U.S. Congress; instead, it claims that he was expressing concern that his country's opposition-controlled parliament would reject his plans for a $100million contribution to the same fund, and his press secretary
Kim Eun-hye suggested that the word he uttered was not "Biden", but "
nallimyeon", a similar-sounding word that means "to blow or waste". The video swiftly went viral, having been viewed repeatedly by millions. The controversy has also brought
press freedom in South Korea to the public eye over the PPP's civil conduct involving MBC, with some press freedom groups, including the
International Federation of Journalists, criticizing the lawsuit as politically motivated. A poll of 1,002 adult Koreans found his approval rating falling to 27.7 percent, a 3.7 percent drop from three weeks before, and that the majority (61.2 percent) believed Yoon said "Biden" compared to the 26.9 percent who thought he said "
nallimyeon"; another poll of 1,000 adult Koreans found an even greater majority (70.8 percent) who said that he should directly apologize for his profanity versus the 27.9 percent who said he did not need to apologize. The Korean
Ministry of Foreign Affairs sued MBC "to restore trust in diplomacy"; this has been likened to the oppression of journalists by the
Lee Myung-bak government in the past.
R&D budget cut The decision by the Yoon administration to reduce South Korea's research and development (R&D) budget by 15% for 2024 compared to the previous year has caused significant uproar among researchers. There are growing concerns that this cutback might undermine South Korea's competitiveness in the global technology sector. The move faced strong opposition, highlighted by an event at the
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). A student protested the budget reduction during a graduation ceremony while Yoon was giving his speech but was immediately restrained by bodyguards who were disguised as students.
Allegations of favoring the New Right Yoon has appointed people affiliated with the controversial South Korean
New Right movement to prominent positions in government and public life. According to a report by
Kyunghyang Shinmun, at least 21 New Right figures were holding 25 key positions in eight public institutions and committees related to Korean history under Yoon's administration. The New Right reportedly has more favorable views of the 1910–1945
Japanese colonial period. In 2024, Yoon's administration appointed people described as New Right members to the positions of director and chairman of the
Independence Hall of Korea, an organization that commemorates the
liberation of Korea from Japanese colonial rule. The
Korea Liberation Association, an organization commemorating Korean independence, protested these decisions. In November 2024, an event by the Korea Liberation Association was scheduled to be held at
Seoul National Cemetery, but the
Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs blocked the event from being held. Critics alleged that the Yoon administration was retaliating against the association for criticizing the administration's New Right tendencies.
First Lady political scandal Yoon vetoed a special prosecutor bill on investigating allegations of corruption related to himself and his wife
Kim Keon Hee. He has received criticism for this. On 28 January 2026, Seoul Central District Court sentenced Kim to 20 months in prison for corruption, for receiving luxury gifts like a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel bag from the Unification Church in return for promises of business favors.
Queen Elizabeth II's funeral While in
London for the
funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, Yoon's opponents accused him of disrespect when he missed the chance to view
the Queen's coffin lying in state, which he blamed on traffic.
Democratic backsliding and media suppression In 2024, the Swedish
V-Dem Institute reported that under Yoon's administration, South Korea was dropping in its liberal democracy index (LDI). They described Yoon as "South Korea's Donald Trump". Specifically, they wrote: South Korea's ranking in the
World Press Freedom Index by
Reporters Without Borders dropped from 47th place to 62nd place from 2023 to May 2024. This was reportedly influenced by the Yoon administration's excessive use of sanctions against media outlets and journalists that were critical of the government, such as MBC. In a particular, a hot mic incident reported on by an MBC journalist resulted in a police raid on the journalist's house and a retaliatory banning of MBC from access to Yoon. Other similar raids on the homes of journalists have been conducted, with the justification of criminal defamation against Yoon. Outlets that have aligned with Yoon have reportedly received preferential treatment. In November 2024, critics alleged that police, under orders of the Yoon administration, were being used to suppress anti-government protests. According to MBC, police unsuccessfully applied for four arrest warrants for protestors. Some argued that these actions contradicted a 2021
Supreme Court of Korea ruling. The frequency of government officials not attending National Assembly sessions has increased under Yoon's administration. Over a period of one year and four months from May 2022 to August 2023, there were 29 non-attendances by heads of government departments, vice ministers, and heads of affiliated organizations. President Yoon has been heavily criticised for overusing the right to veto bills. In November 2024, over 3,000 professors and researchers at various universities signed a declaration asking Yoon to resign. One interviewer speculated that the declaration was the largest such action from academics since
protests during the Park Geun-hye administration.
Public approval curve of the opinion polling Less than three months into his presidency, Yoon's approval rating dropped to less than 30 percent amidst the
2021–2023 inflation surge, a controversial education policy rollout (including a proposal to lower the starting elementary school age from six to five), controversies over nepotism in personnel appointments, the police bureau proposal, and conflicts within the PPP. His popularity fell further to 19% in August. In December, Yoon's approval rating rose back to above 40% for the first time in five months. By April 2023, it dropped back to 30% largely due to widespread disapproval of Yoon's Japanese policy. In May 2024, Yoon recorded the lowest approval rating since he took office at a rate of 21%, with his economic and foreign policy, as well as his lack of communication, being cited as the main reasons for the low approval rating. In June and July 2024, over a million people signed a petition calling for Yoon to be impeached. Following his brief attempt to declare martial law, a poll by
Gallup held from 3 to 5 December 2024 found that Yoon's approval rating had fallen to 13% in part due to the declaration of martial law. A week later, Gallup found that his approval rating fell further to 11%. ==Removal from office==