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Pres. Yoon becomes the emperor without clothes

Posted January. 16, 2025 08:18,   

Updated January. 16, 2025 08:18

한국어

The impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol echoes elements of former President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment eight years ago, yet the differences are striking. While both events have gripped the nation, Yoon’s defiance and the political chaos surrounding his impeachment offer a contrasting narrative to Park’s apology and acceptance of her fate. In December, Yoon initially stated he would not evade legal responsibility. However, his actions have contradicted his words. He avoided receiving the Constitutional Court’s impeachment trial documents and refused to comply with summonses from investigative agencies. When an arrest warrant was issued, Yoon’s defense team employed legal maneuvers, claiming the court that issued the warrant lacked jurisdiction. This tactic has led to widespread mockery, with critics saying Yoon has made the nation study the intricacies of the Criminal Procedure Act. Protected by the Presidential Security Office, President Yoon avoided arrest for 16 days after the warrant was issued, finally being detained on Wednesday.

Unlike Park Geun-hye, who apologized to the nation for her “immoral and careless behavior,” Yoon declared he would “never give up.” The ruling party supported him fervently, attempting to prevent the six-member Constitutional Court from returning to full capacity, while lawmakers staged protests in front of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong. Meanwhile, the opposition party impeached Prime Minister and Acting President Han Duck-soo to expedite the impeachment trial, fueling speculation that the move was influenced by the legal risks surrounding its leader, Lee Jae-myung.

The impeachment saga has sent shockwaves through South Korea’s economy. The won-dollar exchange rate hit its highest level since the Asian Financial Crisis, the country’s sovereign credit rating teetered on the brink of downgrade, and economic uncertainty deepened. With Donald Trump’s second term in the U.S. set to begin, South Korea grapples with an impeached president for the second time in eight years, leaving its diplomatic strategy in disarray.

The unfolding events evoke Hans Christian Andersen’s fable, “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” In the tale, a tailor deceives the king, promising him special clothes invisible to fools, while the king’s courtiers, fearful of being labeled fools, praise the nonexistent garments. Similarly, far-right YouTubers spreading election fraud conspiracies, key figures behind the martial law imposition, and Yoon’s close allies, who claimed to be protecting him, resemble the tale’s tailor and courtiers. The critical point, however, is that the emperor himself is naked.

In Andersen’s story, a child’s innocent truth-telling exposes the emperor’s nakedness, ending his illusion of grandeur. Ashamed and humiliated, the emperor halts his parade. While Andersen leaves the king’s fate unresolved, it is doubtful the king retained his throne after his nakedness—once hidden under gilded robes—was laid bare. The king, at least, must have possessed a sense of shame.