Alright, besties, South Korea is, like, totally in the middle of a political earthquake right now. President Yoon Suk-Yeol got impeached earlier today (Dec 14) and it’s such a big deal. Picture this: 204 lawmakers voted him out, and outside the assembly, about 200,000 protesters were basically screaming, “Pack it up, Yoon!” The vibe? Absolutely chaotic.
So, here’s the tea: Yoon’s approval ratings have tanked to 11% (ouch), and the opposition totally rallied to make this happen. They needed at least 8 members of his own People Power Party (PPP) to flip and they got 12 who said, “Bye, Felicia,” and sealed the deal. Huge cheers went off when the results were announced—lawmakers literally walked out to applause like they were on a red carpet.
Why is everyone over him? Yoon’s been accused of stacking the courts with his BFFs, abusing power, and pushing these super controversial judicial reforms that people saw as self-serving. His economic policies? Also, not cute. Youth unemployment’s up, and folks are seriously struggling. The last straw was when he tried to declare martial law for the first time since 1980, and the people weren’t having any of it.
According to Dr. Lee Ji-won, a political science professor at Seoul National University: “The impeachment highlights a growing frustration with Yoon’s leadership style and the erosion of democratic norms under his presidency.”
Yoon’s suspended for now, with VP Han Duck-soo taking over as acting prez. But Yoon’s not giving up without a fight, babes. He’s already out here saying he’ll be back, calling the impeachment “a political attack.”
What happens next? The Constitutional Court has up to six months to decide if Yoon’s out for good. If they say yes, South Korea’s getting a new election. If they say no, well, it’s gonna be awkward for everyone. Stay tuned, because this is so not over.
XOXO,
Valley Girl News
Photo credit to Bloomberg.
