Yoon's approval rating hits new low

President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating fell by 7.7 percentage points to 17.3 percent in the first week of December due to his abrupt imposition of martial law, the biggest threat to South Korea's democracy in the 21st century, a poll showed Monday. In the meantime, Yoon has not appeared in public for three days since he delivered a televised address on Saturday promising that he would entrust his executive powers to his People Power Party. The presidential office has been almost non

PoliticsDec. 9, 2024

Austin arrives in Japan in his last Asia trip as secretary

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Japan on Sunday in his last trip to the Indo-Pacific as the Pentagon chief, as he seeks to cement the Biden administration's policy legacy of deepening regional alliances and partnerships. Austin arrived at Yokota Air Base near Tokyo, kicking off the Asia swing that has excluded an anticipated stop in South Korea, another key US ally, in the aftermath of President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law attempt last week. During the trip throu

Social AffairsDec. 8, 2024

Military drafted martial law plans in Nov. at instruction of counterintelligence chief: lawmaker

The military's counterintelligence unit had already drafted plans to implement martial law in November at the instruction of the unit's chief, an opposition lawmaker said Sunday. Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the main opposition Democratic Party made the case, claiming her office has obtained documents indicating that the Counterintelligence Command had prepared the plans in writing at the order of its commander, Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung. Yeo is one of the three commanders who have been suspended

Social AffairsDec. 8, 2024

Member of Yoon Suk Yeol's party pledges to vote to impeach unless removal plan presented

Rep. Kim Sang-wook of the ruling People Power Party said on Sunday that he will vote in favor of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment unless a clear roadmap for his removal from office is presented. He was one of three PPP lawmakers who cast a ballot during Saturday’s botched vote on the opposition-led motion to initiate Yoon’s impeachment over his imposition of martial law on Tuesday. After the vote, which put him in the media spotlight, Rep. Kim revealed that he voted agains

PoliticsDec. 8, 2024

[News Analysis] Vegetative presidency undermines diplomatic efforts, achievements

South Korea's diplomacy stands on shaky ground, as a leadership vacuum and the fallout from President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law debacle threaten to derail key foreign policy priorities -- among them, his Global Pivotal State vision and values-driven diplomacy --while risking the undoing of hard-won achievements. The turmoil has also drained the country’s vanishing political capital, further weakening its ability to steer its foreign policy agenda. The Yoon administration was n

Foreign AffairsDec. 8, 2024

Visually impaired lawmaker had tried to scale walls on martial law day

Kim Yea-ji, South Korea’s first visually impaired lawmaker and a member of the ruling People Power Party, is in the spotlight as one of the only three from her party to participate in the parliamentary vote to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday. The National Assembly’s motion failed due to a failure to meet the quorum after lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party boycotted the vote. It resurfaced Sunday that Kim sought to enter the parliament building immediately afte

PoliticsDec. 8, 2024

Interior Minister resigns following martial law fiasco

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday accepted the resignation of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, who is believed to have played a key role in the martial law debacle late Tuesday. Lee’s resignation comes a day after the Democratic Party of Korea submitted an impeachment motion against the former minister, accusing Lee of plotting the martial law plan and advocating for it. The motion was due to be voted on Tuesday. “I deeply acknowledge my responsibility for failing to work

PoliticsDec. 8, 2024

[News Analysis] How will North Korea react to South Korea’s political crisis?

North Korea is widely expected to remain silent amid South Korea's political turbulence, defined by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s survival of an impeachment motion on Saturday, followed by the ruling party’s announcement on Sunday calling for his "orderly early resignation." However, the prospect of Pyongyang exploiting South Korea's perceived political vulnerabilities through provocations cannot be ruled out. If Pyongyang remains tight-lipped, the decision will under

PoliticsDec. 8, 2024

Prosecutors name Yoon as suspect in insurrection probe

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol narrowly avoided impeachment on Saturday after the motion was scrapped for failing to meet the quorum of two-thirds of the 300-member Assembly. However, his legal troubles are far from over. Police, prosecutors and corruption authorities have all begun wide-ranging investigations into his controversial declaration of martial law and opposition parties vow to pursue alternative avenues of accountability. The prosecution said Sunday the president has been booke

PoliticsDec. 8, 2024

Kim Keon Hee narrowly escapes investigation in close vote

First lady Kim Keon Hee narrowly avoided a special counsel investigation on Saturday as a revote on a bill to launch a probe into allegations against her fell just two votes short of passing in the National Assembly. In a vote of 198-102, the bill to appoint a special counsel narrowly failed to win the required two-thirds majority in the 300-member parliament. The revote took place before a separate motion to impeach Yoon, which also got scrapped due to a lack of quorum. While the rejection spar

PoliticsDec. 8, 2024

Speaker Woo Won-shik proposes bipartisan talks on Yoon Suk Yeol’s fate

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik on Sunday voiced his opposition against the proposed joint exercise of presidential authority by the prime minister and the ruling party. "The president's authority comes from the people, and any process to strip it or delegate it must follow the Constitution and the principle of popular sovereignty,” he stressed. He was referring to the stability plan presented earlier Sunday by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and ruling People Power Party ch

PoliticsDec. 8, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol's office silent after impeachment scrapped

Since the impeachment motion at the National Assembly failed, President Yoon Suk Yeol's office had remained silent as of press time Sunday. Yoon's office express no opinion about the vote, which ended 9:20 p.m. Saturday after falling short of the 200 votes needed to pass. Neither did it make any public announcement concerning Yoon's decision based on his power to appoint or sack a Cabinet member under the Constitution. The Ministry of Interior and Safety announced that the Interio

PoliticsDec. 8, 2024

Han Duck-soo pledges stability, but his authority is in question

After the National Assembly failed to pass the motion to impeach South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo vowed Sunday morning to “humbly seek cooperation” with the ruling People Power Party to “ensure all state functions operate smoothly and stably.” However, the opposing Democratic Party of Korea denounced such plans, claiming that such measures are “unconstitutional.” According to the Constitution, the prime minister is

PoliticsDec. 8, 2024

Conflict erupts over ruling camp's takeover plan

The prime minister and the leader of the ruling conservative party on Sunday jointly announced their plans to fill in for President Yoon Suk Yeol, claiming he will no longer be involved in handling state affairs, in a move denounced by the main opposition as unconstitutional. In a public address given by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and the ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon, the two said they would cooperate in operational matters related to "national governance." They did a

PoliticsDec. 8, 2024

Opposition brands ruling party’s plan to fill in for Yoon unconstitutional

The Democratic Party of Korea rejected the ruling People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon’s proposal that his party and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would fill in while President Yoon Suk Yeol is phased out of office. In a joint address to the nation Sunday, Han said his party and the prime minister would lead the running of the country as the president steps down in an orderly transition of power. Rep. Kim Min-seok, the No. 2 of the Democratic Party, said the ruling party proposal to take

PoliticsDec. 8, 2024

Can Yoon be suspended without impeachment?

South Korea is facing unprecedented political turmoil as the ruling People Power Party, led by its chair Han Dong-hoon, grapples with the exit strategy that would otherwise determine the fate of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Amid the opposition Democratic Party of Korea's persistent push for Yoon's impeachment following allegations of insurrection, the conservative ruling bloc has now strategically shifted toward calls for Yoon's “orderly resignation,” arguing that this pat

PoliticsDec. 8, 2024

Korea’s martial law declaration a shock for Doha Forum delegates

Korea Herald correspondent DOHA, Qatar -- Political scientists and think tank representatives gathering in Doha for an annual international forum expressed shock at South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration that caused widespread political turmoil in the country. Speaking with The Korea Herald at the Doha forum, many intellectuals shared views on the implications for South Korea’s democracy and stability. With over 4,500 participants from more than 150 countries

Foreign AffairsDec. 8, 2024

[Breaking] Prosecution names President Yoon Suk Yeol as suspect

The Special Prosecutor’s Office said Sunday that President Yoon Suk Yeol is now a suspect facing potential charges of insurrection and abuse of power. Park Se-hyun, head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office who leads the prosecution’s investigation into last week’s martial law turmoil, confirmed the news during a press briefing. “We have received numerous complaints against President Yoon Suk Yeol, and we are conducting investigations accordingly. Procedurally, it is

PoliticsDec. 8, 2024

[Breaking] Yoon to step back from state affairs, diplomacy: ruling party leader

President Yoon Suk Yeol will step back from state affairs, including diplomacy, as the ruling party and the Cabinet pursue his "early resignation," ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon said Sunday. "President Yoon will not be involved in handling state affairs, including diplomacy, even before his resignation," Han said in a public statement jointly released with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The statement was released in connection with the second meeting between the

PoliticsDec. 8, 2024

US calls for 'full, proper' functioning of democratic processes in South Korea

The United States called for "full and proper" functioning of democratic processes in South Korea, after the country’s parliament on Saturday failed to vote on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his recent declaration of martial law. Officials from the White House, as cited by Yonhap News Agency, said Washington had closely monitored the Korean National Assembly's opposition-led motion to impeach Yoon, as well as the developments following its failure to get two

Foreign AffairsDec. 8, 2024