December 16, 2024
Tokyo – The motion to impeach South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol has been passed. Mr. Yoon demonstrated his determination to fight to the end through his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court, with no hope of resolution to the country's political turmoil.
As the impeachment motion passed, Yoon was immediately suspended from presidential powers. Some people worry that South Korea's long-term power shortage will have a negative impact on Japan-South Korea relations and other aspects of the situation in Asia.
The second impeachment motion submitted to the South Korean National Assembly by the left-wing opposition party over Yoon's declaration of martial law received support from at least eight conservative lawmakers in addition to the opposition party.
The ruling party originally planned to solve the problem by removing Mr. Yin from power as soon as possible. For this reason, they boycotted the vote on the first impeachment motion, causing the impeachment case to fail. But Mr Yoon has refused to step down, so there is a sense that impeachment is inevitable even within the ruling party.
Yin remains committed to returning to power. After the vote, he issued a statement saying he would never give up. In a separate statement before the vote, he explained that the purpose of martial law was to let the public know that the opposition was obstructing the management of national politics.
However, it is difficult to imagine that the public would understand the one-sided logic of mobilizing the military to inform the public. Mr. Yin cannot escape responsibility for abusing his power and plunging the country into great turmoil.
Yin is also under investigation by police, prosecutors and other investigative agencies for suspected rebellion. This is a special situation where the impeachment trial and investigation are ongoing at the same time.
In addition to the confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties, power struggles within the ruling party and among investigative agencies are also likely to intensify. However, political manipulation should not be carried out, but order should be restored democratically through legal procedures.
If at least six of the nine judges of the Constitutional Court support Yin's removal, Yin will lose his job and the presidential election will be held within 60 days.
The ruling party's approval rating has plummeted due to its handling of the Yin Zheng incident. Meanwhile, the opposition is stepping up its offensive. The opposition criticized Yoon's efforts to improve relations with Japan as “humiliating diplomacy.”
Next year will mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea. However, if the influence of the opposition parties increases, another setback in Japan-South Korea relations is inevitable. It is also important to remain vigilant about the situation in North Korea.
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya recently had his first phone call with his South Korean counterpart since the declaration of martial law. The two confirmed that the importance of bilateral relations between Japan and South Korea will not change under any circumstances. It is very important that officials from both countries continue to communicate.
