In the wake of the Constitutional Court’s removal of Yoon Suk-yeol from the presidency on April 4, South Korea’s political parties have swiftly moved to elect their candidates for the snap presidential election scheduled on June 3. Lee Jae-myung, the former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party who wasContinue Reading
Each month, ACLED’s Asia Pacific Team collects information on the dates, actors, locations, fatalities, and types of all reported political violence and protest events in the region. Details below on significant developments in March 2025 in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, South Korea and Thailand. Bangladesh: Militant activity heightensContinue Reading
On April 4, South Korea’s Constitutional Court officially dismissed Yoon Suk-yeol from the presidency. The ruling came down 111 days after the National Assembly passed its impeachment motion against Yoon. The past four months have been an agonizing vigil for the country’s fate and future. In the court’s previous presidentialContinue Reading
Nearly four months after the National Assembly passed a bill calling for the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol for his failed attempt to control the country through martial law, the Constitutional Court upheld Yoon’s impeachment unanimously on April 4. With the decision, Yoon has been removed from officeContinue Reading
Magazine Lee Jae-myung’s strategic bet – that he can leverage widespread public discontent without further deepening societal divisions – will pose a key test for South Korea’s democracy. South Korea is amid a high-stakes political moment, and Lee Jae-myung is front and center. President Yoon Suk-yeol faces potential removal fromContinue Reading
While the impeachment ruling for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol remains delayed, on March 24 the Constitutional Court made a decision to dismiss the impeachment of Prime Minister and Acting President Han Duck-soo on March 24. The court’s reasoning in dismissing Han’s impeachment shows parallels to the dismissal of formerContinue Reading
On March 24, South Korea’s Constitutional Court overturned the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who was suspended from his duties by a vote of the National Assembly on December 27. With five of eight justices opting to reject and two justices ruling to dismiss the impeachment, Han has beenContinue Reading
On February 25, South Korea’s Constitutional Court wrapped up the impeachment trial of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. Yoon’s martial law declaration on December 3 was the catalyst for the opposition to impeach him, and it took only 11 days for the National Assembly to pass a bill to thatContinue Reading
As President Yook Suk-yeol waits for the Constitutional Court to decide on his impeachment, polling shows broad disapproval of his presidency. What does this mean going forward? Yoon narrowly won the presidency in 2022 against Lee Jae-Myung of the the Democratic Party (DP). In what was dubbed an “unlikeable election,”Continue Reading
Months after South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law in early December 2024, the country is still rocked by the aftershocks of political turmoil and intensifying partisan division. Even with last Friday’s announcement by the Seoul Central District Court to release Yoon from prison – likely mere daysContinue Reading
