As South Korea's Impeached President Yoon Awaits Fate, His Party Sees Signs of Revival

January 9, 2025 | 11:52 pm

TEMPO.CO, Seoul - A prolonged period of uncertainty over the fate of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and a botched attempt to arrest him are giving oxygen to his backers and reviving support for his troubled party.

Yoon, suspended from duties after his short-lived imposition of martial law on Dec. 3 and under criminal investigation for possible insurrection, has for weeks been holed up inside his hilltop residence in Seoul, guarded by a small army of personal security staff.

In a National Barometer Survey poll released on Thursday, 59% of respondents wanted him arrested, something investigators are determined to do even though they failed last week after a widely televised six-hour standoff with his security force. Some 37% said arresting Yoon was excessive.

A similar split fell in favor of the Constitutional Court, currently considering lawmakers' decision to impeach Yoon, removing him permanently.

Analysts say the prospects of Yoon returning to office are unclear but the hiatus has emboldened his supporters, scores of whom braved sub-zero temperatures to gather near his residence on Thursday morning.

The weeks since Yoon's impeachment have also seen a recovery in support for his ruling People Power Party (PPP), which some analysts say shows signs conservatives are uniting to fight a possible presidential election later this year.

YOON SUPPORTERS REINVIGORATED BY ARREST ATTEMPTS

"It seems that the attempt to arrest Yoon has reinvigorated conservatives," said Mason Richey, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul.

He said that revival comes from both die-hard Yoon supporters, who back his reasons for declaring martial law, including unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud, and those less supportive of Yoon but concerned at the prospect of Lee Jae-myung, the liberal leader of the main opposition party, becoming president.

"If the arrest effort had succeeded, these conservatives would have been defeated for a second time, following impeachment, and that reinvigoration would possibly have been snuffed out quickly. The more that arrest attempts fail, the stronger reinvigorated conservatives will feel," said Richey.

• 1
• 2
• Selanjutnya

South Korea's Yoon Faces Second Arrest Attempt in Fortified Compound

1 hari lalu

North Korea Successfully Tests New Intermediate-Range Missile, State Media Says

2 hari lalu

Jeju Air Crash Investigation Continues; Muan Airport Closure Extended

3 hari lalu

North Korea Tests Mid-Range Missile as Blinken Visits Seoul

3 hari lalu

How to Apply for a South Korea Visa in Indonesia

4 hari lalu

Megawati Hangestri Talks About V-League Best Player Title, Championship Goals, and Secret to Her Partnership with Bukilic

4 hari lalu

Engine Maker GE Joins South Korean Probe of Fatal Plane Crash

6 hari lalu

South Korean Authorities Fail to Arrest Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol

6 hari lalu

South Korea Police Search Jeju Air, Airport Operator Over Fatal Plane Crash

6 hari lalu

South Korea Authorities Moving to Arrest Impeached President Yoon, Yonhap Says

6 hari lalu