Here is my brief take on the new president of South Korea. ➡️ What factors determined Lee Jae-myung's election? ➡️Who is the new president? ➡️What can the election results mean for South Korea’s domestic politics and its foreign policy? 👉 pism.pl/publications...

Many challenges and uncertainties lie ahead for 🇺🇸🇰🇵 relations. ➡️ unclear vision of 🇺🇸 policy towards the DPRK ➡️ 🇰🇵 has been strengthened by its alliance with Russia ➡️ the global and regional situation is much more complicated than in 2018 Find out more in my recent analysis 👇 pism.pl/publications...

My short take on the decision made by South Korea’s Constitutional Court, which upheld the parliament’s decision to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol for illegally declaring martial law last December. pism.pl/publications...

If we take opposition to Yoon's impeachment as a measure of authoritarian political attitudes, there are some observations we can make and hypotheses, some competing, that we can consider. 👇

S. Korea and US should initiate concrete, practical — and largely nonexternal — discussions on the intractable, long-avoided question of their alliance’s role in a Taiwan contingency, moving beyond rhetorical alignment on peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. www.koreaherald.com/article/1045...

Spring issue of Global Asia has just dropped, with a cover package on Martial Law in South Korea-- a topic that should get more global attention IMHO www.globalasia.org/latest-issue...

South Koreans and Europeans agree that Russia is a threat, Ukraine needs support and that the new US administration is trouble, writes @alexlipke.bsky.social @ecfrasia.bsky.social Read his new commentary:

North Korea is playing a bigger role in Russia’s war on Ukraine than one might think. And it may turn out to be one of the pieces in the larger puzzle of U.S.-Russian talks on a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine. I would consider several possibilities 🧵🇰🇵🇷🇺🇺🇸

In my recent analysis for the Polish Institute of International Affairs, I argue that the evolution of 🇰🇷 domestic situation, the definition of the terms of the alliance, 🇰🇷 stance on 🇺🇸🇨🇳 rivalry, and the coordination of policies towards 🇰🇵 will be crucial for South Korea’s alliance with the U.S. 👇

Ishiba’s first meeting with Trump is over, and, at first glance, it appears that Ishiba returns to Tokyo with what he needed. Some initial thoughts here: open.substack.com/pub/observin...

Here's the English text of the joint statement. www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/...

1/ I've obtained the 101-page indictment against President Yoon Suk Yeol detailing the December 3, 2024 martial law incident. He's charged with leading an insurrection (내란우두머리). Here's a breakdown of the allegations:

US SecState Rubio’s call with his ROK counterpart does not mention denuclearization of Korean Peninsula. A signal to Kim Jong Un? www.state.gov/secretary-ru...

New SWP policy paper analyzing the motives driving South Korea's ever-closer relations with NATO. 👇 www.swp-berlin.org/publikation/...

Democratic Regression and Resilience in South Korea: Lessons from the Martial Law Crisis globalasia.org/forum/democr...

1/ Breaking: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been formally detained after a Seoul court approved full detention warrant, marking an unprecedented moment in the country's history. The decision came at 3am after a 5-hour court hearing. www.news1.kr/society/cour...

Incredible scene in Seoul tonight as President Yoon Suk Yeol’s supporters are storming the Seoul courthouse in response to his arrest. They are smashing the windows and vandalising the offices.

"Several Trump 2.0 senior officials are on the record demanding South Korea’s greater implication in cooperating with the U.S. to contain China. This is arguably the area with the greatest potential for a Washington-Seoul clash."

My big picture piece on US-South Korea relations following Yoon's martial law decree: I look at why the Biden admin seemed to overlook obvious red flags about Yoon, how Trump may handle the relationship, and whether things can return to normal anytime soon.

Mason Richey assesses #SouthKorea's martial law declaration and its aftermath through the lens of political science. bit.ly/4gKPYy4

What has happened today in Seoul, and what will happen from now on? Let me address a few questions:

1/ South Korea's acting president Choi Sang-mok appointed two of three Constitutional Court nominees today, allowing the court to properly proceed with suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial. But the selective appointment has drawn criticism from all sides.

Support for DP declining for two consecutive weeks to 45.8% PPP up at 30.6%. 60.4% of poll respondents want a transition of power to the opposition, 32.3% want to continue with the ruling party

In this short reflection article for the Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, I focus on the impact of the New Right and election conspiracies among the Korean far right on Yoon's decision to declare martial law. 1/ apjjf.org/2024/12/engel

1/ Major Korean papers this morning analyse the second impeachment in two weeks. "Acting president of acting president" (권한 대행의 대행) creates what editorials describe as a triple crisis in politics, economy, and security.

State Council meetings require a quorum of more than half the members and a two-thirds majority to pass resolutions. If the DP impeaches five additional cabinet members beyond Han duck-soo, it will be impossible to convene the cabinet due to the lack of quorum n.news.naver.com/mnews/hotiss...

1/ Latest from S. Korea: - Opposition files impeachment motion against Acting President Han Duck-soo after he refuses to appoint 3 new Constitutional Court justices - CC to begin Yoon impeachment hearing tomorrow Yoon is still silent, hasn't submitted documents, and isn't cooperating

It's Friday and that means new report from Gallup Korea. As usual, I'm going to go through the report and put together a small thread on the survey findings.

In this quick take, Senior Fellow Rachel Minyoung Lee examines why #NorthKorea is taking a low-key approach to #SouthKorea’s political upheaval and martial law. bit.ly/41Pr2Ay

In my latest analysis, I write about the reasons for the imposition and failure of martial law, the dispute over the impeachment of the president, and the prospects for the biggest political crisis in South Korea's democratic history. 👇 www.pism.pl/publications...

1/ South Korea's Constitutional Court to hold its first meeting tomorrow at 10am to begin deliberations on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, following his failed martial law declaration and subsequent parliament vote yesterday to impeach him. www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR2024...

Gallup Korea's new numbers are out, just 24 hours ahead of the 2nd impeachment vote. Thread incoming.

Implications of South Korea’s Failed Impeachment Vote; Discussing the domestic and foreign policy implications of the failed vote to impeach South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol following his short-lived declaration of martial law www.stimson.org/2024/implica...

I wrote a thread about the insurrection in South Korea, which received significant attention. However, with so much news pouring in and the situation changing by the minute, I decided to stop updating that thread. Instead, I am starting new threads on a few specific topics.

Conservative media in Korea does not seem to be buying the PPP’s roadmap to have Yoon resign sometime early next year. Me paraphrasing but basically, if he won’t resign, the PPP must impeach Yoon. They say it would be a national embarrassment if Yoon is arrested for treason before being impeached.

As we begin another day of political uncertainty in Seoul, - It's still unclear who is running what in the country - No details about any power sharing arrangement that allegedly exists - We don't know the legal rationale for any such deal - The presidential office has essentially gone dark

President Yoon Suk-yeol's failed martial law declaration echoed the country's authoritarian past. What does this crisis reveal about the resilience - and risks - of the nation's democracy? Read Benjamin Engel's full analysis on Korea Pro. koreapro.org/2024/12/yoon...

🧵 South Korea faces constitutional crisis as ruling party suggests he's no longer involved in day-to-day governance. Experts warn of dangerous gaps in military command structure amid leadership uncertainty. Jeongmin Kim @nknewsorg.bsky.social writes: www.nknews.org/2024/12/lead...

The rapid fall of Syria is surely going to be watched very closely by Kim Jong Un. Most people think of Putin and Xi as Kim Jong Un's closest partners. But Bashar al-Assad and Kim often shared more correspondence each year: www.nknews.org/2021/06/syri...

1/ A leaked military document allegedly reveals South Korea's Defense Counterintelligence Command (DCC) had drafted detailed martial law plans in November, one month before President Yoon's shock declaration on December 3. www.hani.co.kr/arti/politic...

Korea's preeminent *conservative* paper of record exclusively reports that President Yoon ordered someone at the National Intelligence Service (Korean CIA) to arrest the head of his own party (who would later vote against martial law) and when the NIS man refused, ordered his dismissal.

Excellent assessment of how Yoon’s use of martial law—for whatever ill-conceived reason—was substantively illegal by Cho Hee-kyung : m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/articl...

This group of PPP lawmakers suggest using this opportunity to amend the constitution, shorten presidential terms, and force Yoon out without the “paralyzing” effect of impeachment. 1/ m.yna.co.kr/view/AKR2024...

South Koreans work during the day, protest in the evening. A considerable crowd has gathered in Gwanghwamun Square, almost empty during the day. Everything was very well organised, with loud music cheering the protesters.

AsiaTimes republishes my look at the prospects for Trump and Kim Jong Un to resume their failed diplomacy. Vaguely sourced report from Reuters says folks in Trump camp already thinking about this. asiatimes.com/2024/11/can-...

We'll see 🧐

82% of South Koreans oppose sending military aid, including arms, to Ukraine, according to a Gallup Korea poll cited by Reuters' @hyunsuinseoul.bsky.social search.app?link=https%3...

⏳️ Ponad dwie godziny kompendium wiedzy o Półwyspie Koreańskim: historia, stan obecny i prognozy. 🎙 Zapraszam na 📺 #Didaskalia z dr. Oskarem Pietrewiczem 💬 analitykiem Polskiego Instytutu Spraw Międzynarodowych!

FYI: what was previously the "Korea watcher nerd feed" has been broadened to include accounts focused on Japan, China, and Taiwan. It's now the "NE Asia politics and security feed." bsky.app/profile/will...