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SNS: Asia Letter: Q1 2025 BRAVE NEW WORLD By Scott Foster _________ As we go to press . . . South Korea's National Assembly has now voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on the second attempt. The vote was 204-85, with 3 abstentions and 8 votes disqualified. Enough ruling party members crossed the line to deliver the two-thirds majority required for impeachment. Yoon's functions as president have been suspended pending a ruling by the Constitutional Court, which has 180 days to approve or reject the impeachment. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, a veteran technocrat who has served both conservative and liberal presidents for some 30 years, has taken over as interim president. In the short run, this is the most stable solution to the crisis that began with Yoon's declaration of martial law on December 3. The US-South Korea alliance is not threatened, but the Biden administration in its final weeks loses a staunch supporter of the Ukraine war. It also spares Donald Trump a potential headache, but this does not mean he will have an easy time dealing with Korean affairs. - Scott Foster, 12/14/24 _________ Yoon's Martial-Law Decree Rejected South Korea is in mid-crisis as I write this. President Yoon Suk Yeol's attempt to impose martial law has failed - but so has the left-wing opposition Democratic Party's attempt to impeach him. Han Dong-hoon, leader of Yoon's conservative People Power Party, spoke out against martial law but closed ranks with most other party members to oppose impeachment. Han then said that Yoon would not exercise his powers as president until he stepped down in an "orderly exit," but he didn't say when that might be. The army pointed out that, according to the constitution, Yoon is still head of the armed forces. Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung said that such a delayed exit, with other conservative party officials taking over presidential powers, would be unconstitutional. Another attempt at impeachment is likely within the next few days. |
