It is now up to the Constitutional Court. Following the National Assembly’s approval of the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday, his presidential powers were suspended immediately. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is now in charge as acting president of South Korea, although he is similarly facing investigation for his alleged role and participation in a Cabinet meeting held shortly before Yoon's imposition of martial law on Dec. 3. The Constitutional Court mus

Politics Dec. 14, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol was suspended from duty Saturday following the National Assembly’s passage of a motion to initiate his impeachment process. The motion was passed with a 204-85 vote, with three abstentions and eight invalid votes. He became the third South Korean president to face impeachment. With Yoon suspended, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo assumes the role of acting president, while the Constitutional Court reviews whether to either remove or reinstate the president. Yoon was unde

Politics Dec. 14, 2024

Chinese spies, a compromised election system, and monstrous opposition parties intent on destroying the nation -- these themes form the lens through which President Yoon Suk Yeol views South Korea's problems, or at least the ones he portrayed in his national address Thursday morning. Political observers and opposition politicians said it was a tactic designed to rally support and appeal to ultraright voters. During his 29-minute address, Yoon declared that he would to “fight till the

Politics Dec. 12, 2024

Singer Lee Seung-hwan and his band will perform near the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on Friday, during a rally demanding the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, the artist announced Tuesday. Lee, via Instagram, shared his setlist, featuring his hit songs "Dunk Shoot," "As Much as the Love Spread in the World," "God of Money," "Do You Love," "I Ask" and "Superhero." Lyrics for some of the songs will be adjusted to suit the o

Social Affairs Dec. 11, 2024

When Kim Joo-jin joined a small environmental club at Seoul National University, he had no idea it would reshape his life. From pursuing a career in law to founding an environmental non-profit organization, every step he took was fueled by the passion he discovered in his early 20s. He is now the founder of Solutions for Our Climate, an independent policy research and advocacy organization that advises and pressures policymakers and financiers to phase out fossil fuels, end coal financing, a

Hashtag Korea Dec. 11, 2024

Nearly half of couples remain childless in the first 5 years of marriage in South Korea, government data showed Tuesday. According to the Statistics Korea, the number of newlywed couples, defined as those married for 5 years or less, stood at at 974,000 in 2023, marking a 5.6 percent decrease from 1.03 million in 2022. This is the first time the figure has fallen below 1 million since the government began tracking such data in 2015. The number of newlywed couples has been on a steady decline s

Social Affairs Dec. 10, 2024

Two lawyers are recruiting plaintiffs for a lawsuit against President Yoon Suk Yeol, seeking compensation of 100,000 won ($70) per individual for alleged psychological damages stemming from his declaration of martial law. They argue Yoon’s actions during the martial law incident violated constitutional principles and caused public distress. The lawsuit is led by two attorneys: Lee Geum-kyu, who represented the National Assembly during the impeachment trial of former President Park Geun-hye

Politics Dec. 10, 2024

Voter outrage is intensifying in South Korea, after the parliament failed to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol, despite overwhelming public demand to immediately remove him from office over his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law. The anger is mainly directed at lawmakers from Yoon’s ruling party who boycotted the impeachment vote Saturday. In doing so, they opted to keep the embattled president, now a suspect of insurrection, in office, while they devise an exit strategy that minimizes the da

Politics Dec. 10, 2024

The second parliamentary vote to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, scheduled to take place Saturday, will likely pass, a minor party’s floor leader predicted. Rep. Cheon Ha-ram of the minor conservative Reform Party, made this prediction in a local radio interview Monday afternoon, saying that more than eight lawmakers from Yoon’s ruling People Power Party will vote in favor of Yoon’s removal from office. The first vote on Yoon’s impeachment failed amid a boycott of PPP la

Politics Dec. 10, 2024

A coalition of 573 political scientists called for the immediate reintroduction of an impeachment bill against President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing him of violating constitutional order and threatening democratic principles. The demand follows a failed vote Saturday stemming from a boycott from Yoon’s ruling party lawmakers. In a public declaration issued on Sunday evening, the scholars condemned Yoon’s declaration of emergency martial law on Dec. 3, labeling it as an insurrection. They

Politics Dec. 9, 2024

South Korea’s parliament failed to vote on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment on Saturday, with rival political parties sharply divided over what to do with the besieged president. The ruling People Power Party boycotted the opposition-led impeachment motion, choosing to keep the president in office for now. The collective walkout by almost all of the conservative party’s 108 lawmakers contrasted with its participation in another parliamentary vote hours earlier, which eff

Politics Dec. 8, 2024

The rapid deployment of troops to the National Election Commission in the chaotic first minutes of martial law declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol late Tuesday night has raised suspicions in South Korea. On Thursday, firsthand accounts -- including from individuals directly involved -- emerged, suggesting the deployment had been tied to a conspiracy theory that the April 10 general election had been rigged. The main opposition party had won a landslide victory, securing the majority in the par

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

Ruling People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon, once President Yoon Suk Yeol’s staunchest ally, has called for the swift suspension of Yoon’s duties amid ongoing impeachment proceedings. Han’s shift in stance could decisively shape South Korea’s political landscape. At a Supreme Council meeting that captured nationwide attention on Friday morning, Han made a statement, asserting that it is necessary for the president to “promptly cease” performing his duties

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

The first major Saturday protest since President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law is set to take place in Yeouido, Seoul, on Saturday. The organizers say that an estimated 200,000 people will take part in the protest. The Group for the Movement to Oust the Yoon Suk Yeol Administration, led primarily by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, Korea's largest umbrella labor union, plans to hold a large-scale rally in front of the National Assembly at 3 p.m. At present, the

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

South Korea's extreme political polarization and acrimony put its democracy to the test when President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late Tuesday, in an apparent preemptive move to prevent opposition parties from stymieing his presidency with budget cuts and the impeachment of key officials. In such a crisis, democratic institutions demonstrated their resilience, a strength that has safeguarded the country’s young, but vibrant democracy, experts and observers said Wednesday. Po

Politics Dec. 4, 2024