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Chicago Tribune
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Column: South Korea serves as an example of a stable democracy
The troubled tenure of South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol formally came to an end on April 4. The nation's Constitutional Court officially ruled that he had exceeded his authority and overstepped the law in declaring martial law and attempting to use the special powers thereof to maintain control of the government. Under presidential orders, soldiers of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Army did go to the parliament building, surrounded and entered the structure, but refrained from interfering with the business of the people's elected representatives. That was a key moment and decision. Had the Army seized control, even temporarily, the still relatively new democratic institutions of South Korea would have been put in serious jeopardy. The unanimous decision of the court confirms that the nation's parliament was justified in voting to impeach Yoon. He was arrested in December. Yoon is the first president to be formally charged with a crime while in office. He is officially accused of insurrection and now will stand trial. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has been acting president, so far relatively smoothly. Now there must be an election within 60 days. The front-runner at the moment is Lee Jae-myung, the populist leader of the opposition Democratic Party. He barely lost a closely contested election to Yoon in 2022. South Korea's political development has been rocky. Various former presidents have been imprisoned. They include former president Lee Myung-bak, convicted of embezzlement; and former President Park Geun-hye, convicted of various forms of corruption. Park was also the first woman elected to lead South Korea and the daughter of notorious long-term dictator General Park Chung-hee. Former President Park had her sentence reduced, and she then received a pardon from reconciliation-minded President Moon Jae-in. She has enjoyed further public rehabilitation, reinforced by the fact that she may have been guilty of poor judgment but received no financial benefit from the alleged corruption. Two generals, Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, served successively as president from 1980 following a military coup. Both were later convicted of crimes and briefly served prison terms before being pardoned. General Park Chung-hee, father of Park Gyun-hee, took power in a coup in 1961, then was elected president in 1963. He ruled until he was assassinated in 1979 by the head of the Korea Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA). This is a rather grim history of dictatorship, punctuated by violence, yet today South Korea has a functioning democracy under the rule of law. This positive consequence involves two U.S. presidents and their far-sighted public policies. Former General Dwight Eisenhower upon entering the White House in 1953 was able to end the brutal Korean War quickly and effectively. The armistice endures. However, Ike was concerned that the weakened and devastated nation might soon fall to communism. The answer was comprehensive development. That laid the foundation for the modern South Korea, a miracle that transformed a poverty-stricken peasant society into one of the strongest, most dynamic economies in the world. Dramatic economic development, in turn, provided the foundation for democracy. Earlier, President Harry Truman took the extremely courageous decision to support United Nations efforts to defend South Korea from the invasion by North Korea. U.S. engagement did not end with the Korean War era. South Korea's remarkable economic and political development unfolded while accompanied by increasing global influence. In 2012, President Barack Obama shrewdly nominated President Jim Yong Kim of Dartmouth College, who was born in Seoul Korea, as president of the World Bank. Arthur I. Cyr is the author of 'After the Cold War – American Foreign Policy, Europe and Asia.'
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
South Korean fighter jet mistakenly drops eight bombs on town and injures civilians
At least eight people were injured when a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped eight bombs on a town close to a firing range on Thursday morning. Four civilians have sustained serious injuries, local emergency services reported. Two houses, a church and a number of vehicles were badly damaged when eight MK-82 bombs were dropped on the town of Idong by the Republic of Korea Air Force FK-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft shortly after 10am local time (1am GMT), Air Force officials told local media. The town is about 25 miles northeast of Seoul and a similar distance from the tense Demilitarised Zone that divides the Korean Peninsula. The aircraft had been taking part in joint live-fire exercises with US air units simulating a sudden attack, officials said, and apparently released its weapons outside the US-operated Rodriguez Live Fire Complex. The facility is also used for artillery and tank live-fire drills. The exercise required the aircraft to neutralise mobile surface-to-air missile systems and anti-aircraft guns with bombs before carrying out evasive manoeuvres to avoid heat-seeking missiles. Around 30 bombs were dropped on the correct targets as part of the exercise, officials said. The MK-82 bomb is designed to destroy buildings, bridges and other infrastructure and can leave a crater 25 feet wide and 8 feet deep. Typically, a single bomb can kill anyone within an area of about the size of a football pitch. 'We deeply regret the unintended release of the bombs, which resulted in civilian casualties, and wish those injured a swift recovery,' an air force official told Yonhap News. 'We will actively implement all necessary measures, including providing compensation for damage.' The Air Force has already set up a committee to look into the accident and to assess the damage caused, the official added. Military and civilian emergency services are operating in Idong, close to the larger town of Pocheon, with television footage showing badly damaged buildings and other infrastructure. The joint South Korea-US Freedom Shield military exercises are scheduled to begin next week. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
