South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who declared martial law on Tuesday, was elected in 2022 as a conservative political novice promising a tougher line on North Korea.

He has not had an easy ride, taking office with some of the lowest approval ratings of any democratically elected South Korean president.

Those ratings dropped even further to 19% in the latest Gallup poll last week, with many expressing dissatisfaction over his handling of the economy and controversies involving his wife, Kim Keon Hee.