Yoon Suk Yeol’s latest political gambit undoubtedly did not unfold as he expected.
After abruptly declaring martial law on Dec. 3, South Korea’s scandal-plagued president was forced to lift the order within hours in the face of public protests and legislative opposition. He now faces an impeachment motion filed by the opposition Democratic Party, which has condemned his “insurrectionary behavior.”
As of this writing, the opposition is eight votes shy of what it needs to oust Yoon. But given the artful design of South Korea’s 1987 Constitution and the country’s recent experience with impeachment, the opposition has an advantage and it stands on firm legal ground. Yoon’s removal would serve as a global example — in stark contrast to the United States — of how democracies can and should deal with those who abuse the privileges of incumbency.
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