Repercussions over President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived martial law decree could tip South Korea into months of political turmoil, a newspaper editor told CNN.
Six opposition parties have moved to impeach Yoon following the widespread backlash to his decree across the political spectrum, in a process that could last up to three months, Kenneth Choi, international editor of The Chosun Ilbo newspaper, told CNN.
Yoon’s martial law decree was not supported by the populace, the military or police, Choi said, and “there’s basically nothing for him to gain,” raising questions as to his motivation for making it.
Choi said the six hours of late-night political drama could potentially spook a lot of foreign investors in South Korea, which already faces an uncertain economic outlook.
South Korea is home to global cultural exports ranging from the popular Netflix series Squid Game to chart-topping K-pop acts, and has grown its soft power internationally, and Choi said “it’s a shame” for it to be dragged into a political maelstrom.
