Summary

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the National Assembly for his unconstitutional declaration of martial law.

The vote, which required a two-thirds majority, saw support from both the opposition and members of Yoon’s governing party.

Yoon, suspended from state duties, faces investigation and potential rebellion charges, while the country grapples with political turmoil and North Korean propaganda.

  • oakey66@lemmy.world
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    15 days ago

    Wow so nice to see the government functioning properly in response to attempted tyranny. Must be nice.

    • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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      15 days ago

      The US Congress impeached Trump in 2019, and again in 2021. Where we failed is conviction.

      Hopefully South Korea has better success with step two.

      • usernamesAreTricky@lemmy.ml
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        15 days ago

        The Impeachment process isn’t identical between the two. US congress has a lower bar for impeachment but requires a 2/3rd vote in the senate to convict which is where those both failed.

        In South Korea they have a 2/3rd threshold to impeach and then it goes to a constitutional court to uphold or not uphold it. The prime minister becomes acting president right after impeachment while the constitutional court reviews it

        There’s recent precident of the constitutional court upholding an impeachment unanimously in south korea in 2017

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_of_Park_Geun-hye

          • usernamesAreTricky@lemmy.ml
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            15 days ago

            Although the constitutional court does have 3 vacancies right now and it does look more conservative at the moment so it’s not fully a given that it will get through

            • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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              15 days ago

              Thanks for the insight. I’m not familiar with their governmental structure, let alone the current climate.

              Between the ongoing protests and now celebration in the streets over the impeachment vote, do you think the constitutional court will consider the repercussions of their decision on civil unrest?

              • usernamesAreTricky@lemmy.ml
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                15 days ago

                Given my limited knowledge and all of the highly unpredictable things going on in democracies around the world, I’m just gonna opt out of making any firm predictions myself. We’ll find out in at most 180 days (they have that amount of time to decide)

                I’ll note that others predict the court will ask the national assembly to try to fill those 3 vacancies. If they do so, it would make it easier to pass since it requires 6 to vote in favor for it to succeed regardless of vacancies. There are currently only 6 on the court

                I’ll also note that in 2004, the constitutional court rejected Roh Moo-hyun’s impeachment when there was strong backlash to the impeachment in the public. The charges there were much more minor than what happened here

      • frunch@lemmy.world
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        15 days ago

        An impeachment without a conviction is useless. Fucker is going to be president again despite 2 toothless “impeachments”. Might as well have called it a “mildly stern talking-to without any actual consequences”

        The only reason to even mention it is to shine light on the glaring injustice.

        • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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          14 days ago

          They knew it would fail both times. They wanted it on record that some of the government tried to do something about this guy. So when things happen over the next four years that maybe even turns some Republicans against him, it won’t be like oh my god you can’t just impeach the President. It will be Donald Trump impeached for third time, but with a different result.

          I realize what I’ve written is practically copium, but it is one of the real reasons they impeached twice while knowing they would fail to convict.

      • usernamesAreTricky@lemmy.ml
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        15 days ago

        This was the second vote on it. The 2nd impeachment vote in the US uh didn’t exactly get 2/3 in the senate unlike South Korea getting 2/3 in the National Assembly. Though now it goes to the constitutional court. The prime minister is acting president while they consider to keep the impeachment or not (for a maximum of 180 days)

  • Carrolade@lemmy.world
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    15 days ago

    grapples with political turmoil and North Korean propaganda.

    Y’know, of all the world’s countries, I would expect S Korea to be one of the most resistant to adversarial propaganda. I mean, here in the US we were largely insulated from it during the Cold War, so we didn’t really have the exposure and thus experience in dealing with it. But S Korea has always been in radio range of an adversary, so shouldn’t it be pretty well understood as “a thing” by the public at large?

    Like, when someone knocks on my door and asks if I’d like to talk about Jesus, I understand exactly what is happening and why. We’re culturally familiar with that here. If a S Korean picks a pamphlet up off the ground and it’s obvious N Korean propaganda, do they have that same degree of cultural familiarity?

    • reverendz@lemmy.ml
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      15 days ago

      It’s the opposite. They’re inundated with propaganda. They hyper-capitalist “work at the expense of family and life” and the entire chaebol system is f’d.

      They’re an occupied nation that everyone pretends isn’t. But show me another country where the military answers to foreign commanders.

      Also, it’s illegal to read/watch/listen to North Korean media. If you say anything remotely positive about DPRK, good luck to you.

    • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml
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      15 days ago

      On one hand, sure.

      On the other, when you’re working 3 jobs and are still in debt and can’t afford anything you want, you start to wonder if this is the best system. A pamphlet lands in front of you at this time? That could make you realize something.