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On April 4, 2025, South Korea's Constitutional Court unanimously upheld President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment, prompting reactions from various public figures.
One standout response came from actor Lee Dong-wook, known for his role in Divorce Insurance. He shared a simple yet striking message on his fan app, writing:
"It is finally spring. Winter was too long."
This post soon caught fans' attention, especially since it followed the impeachment. Last year, Lee made headlines for posting SNSD's Into The New World right after the impeachment vote passed on December 14, 2024.
At that time, he mentioned:
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"Spring seems to be getting a step closer.”
This hinted at the long political struggle South Korea had faced. The winter in his messages seemingly symbolized the tough times the country went through, resonating with fans who quickly linked his posts from December 2024 and April 2025.
Background of the martial law and President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment proceedings
To give some background, on December 3, 2024, President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law without consulting anyone. He reportedly cited rising tensions with North Korea and claimed that the National Assembly was stopping the government from doing its job. He accused certain members of supporting Pyongyang.
For the first time, military forces showed up at the National Assembly, and politicians who disagreed with Yoon Suk-yeol were threatened with arrest. This move sparked outrage from the public and world leaders. Just a few hours after the declaration, he reversed his decision due to intense backlash.
The order was taken back after six hours, around 4.15 AM on December 4, 2024. Several South Korean citizens gathered outside the National Assembly and protested the President's martial law decree.
Furthermore, videos flooded online showing how the people of the Republic of Korea fought against the armed military soldiers, including Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Ahn Gwi-Ryeong.
From December 4 to 14, 2024, the citizens protested on the streets and called for the President's impeachment. The first impeachment vote was held on December 7, which failed as 108 People Power Party (PPP) members walked out of the session in a coup. However, on December 14, the impeachment vote was successful.
This incident pushed the National Assembly to kick off impeachment proceedings, which passed with strong support on December 14, 2024. Following the impeachment vote, Yoon Suk-yeol was suspended from his role, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo stepped in as acting president.
The impeachment was based on constitutional breaches, misuse of power, and blocking official duties.
After 73 days of talks, the Constitutional Court ruled on April 4, 2025, declaring Yoon Suk-yeol's martial law order unconstitutional and a threat to democracy. They pointed out that his attempt to solve political issues with military force damaged the separation of powers.
This marked only the second time in South Korea's history that a president was impeached, the first being Park Geun-hye in 2017.
In response to the court's decision, several South Korean celebrities, including Kim Gyu-ri, Kim Eui-sung, Shin So-yul, Kim Ji-woo, and Park Ji-wong, celebrated the impeachment by posting on their social media platforms.
