Yoon Suk Yeol

Yoon Suk Yeol, the 13th President of South Korea, was born in Seoul, South Korea. His birth date is December 18, 1960. His father, Yoon Ki-jung, was a professor emeritus of economics at Yonsei University and a full member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Korea.

Yoon Suk Yeol was officially appointed as the prosecutor general of South Korea by President Moon Jae-in on July 16, 2019. During his leadership, the Supreme Prosecutor's Office conducted embattled investigations into influential figures in President Moon's administration.

Yoon Suk Yeol tendered his resignation as the prosecutor-general on March 4, 2021, which was accepted by President Moon Jae-in. His clashes with the Moon administration until his resignation led to his rise as a presidential candidate.

Yoon officially won the nomination of the People Power Party for the 2022 presidential election after a four-day period of voting by party members and the general public, defeating rival candidate Hong Joon-pyo.

Yoon Suk Yeol narrowly defeated Democratic Party nominee Lee Jae-myung on March 9, 2022, and assumed office as the 13th President of South Korea on May 10, 2022. He ran on a platform promising economic deregulation and other measures such as abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

Yoon announced the relocation of his presidential office to the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan District, Seoul, instead of the Blue House, marking the end of the Blue House as the official presidential office and residence after 74 years.

Yoon's People Power Party sued senior executives of local broadcaster Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation on grounds of defamation, leading to controversy and a significant impact on press freedom in South Korea.

At least 158 people were crushed to death during Halloween festivities in Seoul's Itaewon district, leading President Yoon to declare a state of official national mourning.

When the South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol visited Japan on March 17, 2023, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) leader Kenta Izumi asked Yoon about the Statue of Peace issue, which is a symbol promoted by the South Korean government and South Korean civic groups to honor the victims of Comfort women, an example of Japanese war crimes.

On 20 March 2023, moderate conservative politician Yoo Seung-min criticized Yoon Suk Yeol's pro-Japanese diplomacy, stating that the historical fact that Japanese is the 'perpetrator' and [South] Korean is the 'victim' remains unchanged.

In a Reuters interview on 19 April 2023, President Yoon Suk Yeol 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 South Korea to insist only on humanitarian or financial support.

On 24 April 2023, Yoo Seung-min criticized Yoon Suk Yeol's argument that South Koreans should no longer demand an apology and compensation from Japan, stating that Yoon Suk Yeol is making a very radical argument [by South Korean standards] that South Koreans should no longer demand an apology and compensation from Japan.

Yoon visited the United States, meeting with President Joe Biden, addressing a joint session of the United States Congress, and engaging in various diplomatic activities, marking a significant event in his foreign policy.

On 7 May 2023, Prime Minister Kishida visited Seoul in a historic trip, to further deepen ties. Yoon emphasized that historical issues had to be 'completely settled'. 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.

President Yoon entered office with a pledge to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. This measure came from the unique context of South Korea, where the gender conflict has become very intense. He announced that the new government would not address gender as a collective, but rather focus on and respond to specific individual issues.

In December, Yoon's approval rating rose back to above 40% for the first time in five months. By April 2023, this has dropped back to 30%, largely due to widespread disapproval of Yoon's Japanese policy.

Yoon and Kishida met with United States President Joe 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.

President Yoon Suk Yeol described the stabbing of Lee Jae-myung as an act of terror and a serious threat to democracy, ordering an investigation into the attack.