How Will Yoon’s Release Impact Constitutional Court’s Impeachment Decision?
I don’t think Yoon’s release is really going to impact the upcoming impeachment decision from the Constitutional Court. I think what will influence their decisionmaking is public sentiment. If public sentiment is overwhelmingly in favor of President Yoon I think it will be less likely he is convicted for impeachment:
As President Yoon Suk Yeol was released from detention on Saturday following a court decision, all attention is now channeled into how the release will affect the impeachment trial on his Dec. 3 martial law declaration, as any influence could add further complications.
The ruling People Power Party (PPP) and Yoon’s legal defense team hailed the decision as “confirmation” that there were serious violations of procedural rules throughout the investigation process, with some calling on the Constitutional Court to “correct” its own such violations before issuing a verdict on whether to formally oust the president from office.
On the other hand, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) played down its significance, claiming that the ruling will have “no impact” on the impeachment trial and that any procedural flaws will not reverse the fact that his martial law imposition was unconstitutional.
On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court said it approved Yoon’s request for release after determining that the prosecution’s Jan. 26 indictment of him on insurrection charges, which allowed his arrest to be extended, had come hours after the 10-day initial detention period had already expired. It did not accept the prosecution’s usual way of calculating the duration of detention.
You can read more at the link.
“Rule of Law” vs. “Rule by poll”…?
Rule of law… such an interesting term. And it depends on who interprets them.
According to the right wing, it’s about……
Intimidate legislators by warning that if they don’t bend to your wishes, you’ll run loyalists against them. (Make sure they also worry about what your violent supporters could do to them and their families.) – perfect examples, Yoon and Trump
Then focus on independent sources of information: the media and the universities. Sue media that publish critical stories and block their access to news conferences and interviews. Again, Yoon and Trump perfect examples.
Both Yoon and Trump are blaming the outsiders to use for their political gains by targeting the marginalized and vulnerable groups. Yoon targeting the ethnic Chinese in Korea, the “Commies” (basically anyone that don’t agree with right-wing politics), while Trump blames DEI, illegals, Hispanics, Gays/transsexuals, and just about every other country for “ripping off the US”.
Then flood the social media channels with fake news, conspiracy theories, and fake controversies, with rightwing talking points as to how the Left is bringing down the country. Examples, Yoon and Trump.
This is where South Korea has stopped currently (and hopefully this is where they will be stopped), while America has gone much further.
Trump has gone after the universities. Last week, Trump threatened in a social media post to punish any university that permits “illegal” protests. On Friday he cancelled hundreds of millions in grants and contracts with Columbia University. The most destructive is the cancelation of research grants and contracts, including slashing funds for the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. Ignoring court orders, Trump has halted all funding. As a result, the R&D in American universities is severely crippled. That’s going to help the US outcompeting China, whose R&D is increasing, going the other way, and they’re starting to beat the US in critical technologies like the AI – example DeepSeek anyone?
Now that the US hates all immigrants, foreign students, and foreign visitors with severe immigration restrictions coupled with threats of ICE moving into race profile people (even if they are legal and even American citizens of wrong color), to harass them, carry out illegal raids (no due process of law), what foreign students in their right mind would like to study in the US? Nobody. With all the healthcare and social welfare programs being gutted (all against the Constitutional law), labor laws being ignored (anyone can fire you with an email and with no good explanation without severance pay), and America’s Soft Power sinking to nothing, only the desperate immigrants would consider the “American Dream” and would wish to move to the US. But hey, you guys fixed the unwanted immigration problem so that’s one positive outcome.
The US is heading towards a full dictatorship, and only the Supreme court is left to stop Trump. And that’s by barely. Trump can just ignore the court orders and he can be a President for life, with hardly anyone or anything stopping him from doing so – with all his loyal people in key cabinet positions in the Pentagon, CIA, FBI, Justice, and the courts. I am sure the US military will back him up also, if they are ordered to violently put down any street protests or party opposition.
America is toast. South Korea shouldn’t let the same thing happen. A key fight is coming up and we need to stop the right movement in their tracks or face the same consequences that the US is facing now.