South Korean president impeached, court to decide his fate

South Korea’s parliament impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol amid a spiraling political crisis.

Yoon was suspended from office while a court deliberates whether to remove him permanently.

Yoon, a conservative whose brief Dec. 4 declaration of martial law sparked the current turmoil, has been dogged by scandal throughout his two years in office, including allegations that his wife took illegal gifts.

His martial law debacle was driven by “a deep disdain for the political process and a flagrant disregard for core democratic norms,” The Korea Herald noted, but it also reflected deeper institutional problems: Polarized politicians are increasingly likely to resort to legal tactics instead of bipartisanship.