South Korea’s President Faces Impeachment After Short-Lived Martial Law Order

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the likely ouster of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, a no-confidence vote against French Prime Minister Michel Barnier, and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump butting heads with NATO over how to approach Russia-Ukraine peace talks.

‘Grave Act of Rebellion’

Six South Korean opposition parties submitted a motion on Wednesday to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol for violating the country’s constitution by declaring martial law. Yoon’s order “was originally invalid and a grave violation of the constitution,” the main opposition Democratic Party said, adding, “It was a grave act of rebellion and provides perfect grounds for his impeachment.”

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‘Grave Act of Rebellion’

In a surprise televised address late Tuesday, Yoon declared martial law to eradicate alleged “pro-North Korean anti-state forces,” accusing the Democratic Party of purposefully paralyzing parliament. Opposition members and key figures within Yoon’s own People Power Party condemned the ruling as an illegal attempt to solidify political power. Mass protests ignited across the capital, and some lawmakers were forced to scale walls to enter the barricaded National Assembly. Just six hours later, 190 parliamentarians convened for an emergency session and unanimously voted to nullify Yoon’s order.

Voting for Yoon’s impeachment could occur as early as Friday. Removing the president from office requires the support of two-thirds of South Korea’s parliament (200 of its 300 lawmakers) as well as the endorsement of at least six of the nine justices on the country’s Constitutional Council.

The motion to begin the impeachment process is expected to pass. The Democratic Party and its five smaller opposition allies make up only 192 seats in South Korea’s National Assembly. However, the overnight vote removing Yoon’s martial law order included support from 18 members of his People Power Party. With their backing, the Democratic Party would have enough votes to oust Yoon.

If that occurs, then Yoon would be immediately suspended, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would temporarily take over Yoon’s presidential responsibilities. The Constitutional Court would then be required to hold a trial on the impeachment’s legal merits, which could take up to 180 days. If six of the nine justices vote to uphold the impeachment, then Yoon will be removed from office.

However, there is a potential wrinkle: The court currently only has six incumbent justices in office following three retirements. It isn’t clear if an incomplete court could proceed. Experts predict the opposition coalition to recommend two of the three new judges needed on the Constitutional Court in the coming weeks, as is the parties’ right under South Korean law.

If the court does ultimately vote to sustain Yoon’s impeachment, he would be officially removed from office. The country would then have to hold a snap election within 60 days. New elections would likely garner major wins for the liberal opposition. Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung has been polling higher than Yoon for months and was already favored to win the next presidential election, scheduled for 2027.

Of course, Yoon could also just opt to resign now, as the opposition and many protesters are calling for.

In the meantime, Han urged the public to remain patient on Wednesday and called on cabinet members to “fulfill your duties even after this moment.” Already, Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and several of Yoon’s senior policy advisors have submitted their resignations.

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What We’re Following

Political stalemate. French lawmakers passed a vote of no confidence on Wednesday to oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Parliamentarians on the left and far right supported the motion in an uncommon alliance, arguing that he lacked legitimacy from the start; French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Barnier to be prime minister in September nearly two months after France held inconclusive snap elections. Many legislators, including far-right leader Marine Le Pen, also pointed to what she referred to as Barnier’s “dangerous and unfair” austerity budget plan as the reason for his removal.

Barnier’s government is the first to be forced out of power by such a motion in France in more than 60 years and is the shortest-lived government since the founding of France’s Fifth Republic. The no-confidence vote signals growing divisions and ongoing gridlock in French politics that will likely continue to hinder Paris’s efforts to pass next year’s budget proposal.

“If the no-confidence motion passes, everything will be more difficult and everything will be more serious,” Barnier warned on Tuesday prior to the vote.

Macron is expected to name a new prime minister in the coming days, potentially even before Paris’s iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral reopens this weekend. New parliamentary elections cannot be held before July 2025, and Macron insists that he will carry out the rest of his term until it ends in 2027. Experts believe that this will likely exacerbate France’s political stalemate.

Potential peace talks. Advisors to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump are considering Russia-Ukraine peace plans that would cede large swaths of Ukrainian land to Moscow, Reuters reported on Wednesday. As part of the floated proposals, Kyiv would also no longer seek NATO membership. The advisors have reportedly suggested that the incoming administration would halt military aid to Kyiv unless Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agrees to talk and would increase assistance if Russian President Vladimir Putin refused to negotiate.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte urged Trump on Tuesday to view continued support for Ukraine as a “good deal.” At the same time, Rutte suggested that Kyiv should hold off on peace talks until it has enough military aid to improve its battlefield outlook, thereby creating a stronger negotiating position. On Monday, the U.S. State Department agreed to send Ukraine an additional $725 million, including more anti-personnel mines and munitions for its High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.

Conflicting allegations. Several Chinese coast guard vessels targeted three Philippine patrol ships on Wednesday, according to Philippine officials. Backed by the Chinese navy, the vessels allegedly fired water cannons at before blocking and sideswiping the patrol ships, which were at the disputed Scarborough Shoal to protect Filipino fishermen in the area. The United States condemned China’s actions as “unlawful.”

However, China’s coast guard claims that four Philippine ships had attempted to enter its territorial waters near the Scarborough Shoal, prompting Beijing to “exercise control.” Coast guard spokesperson Liu Dejun added that one of the Philippine vessels “ignored” repeated warnings to leave, which “seriously threatened” the safety of a Chinese ship.

This year, Chinese and Philippine vessels have repeatedly clashed in the South China Sea, as both nations assert conflicting claims over the maritime territory. The Scarborough Shoal has become a particularly tense flash point for conflict due to its prime fishing location. Beijing seized the shoal from Manila in 2012.

Odds and Ends

British chef Tommy Banks appealed to thieves’ holiday spirit on Monday after a van filled with 2,500 pies en route to a seasonal market was stolen the day before. “I know you’re a criminal, but maybe just do something nice because it’s Christmas and maybe we can feed a few thousand people with these pies that you’ve stolen,” Banks said on Instagram. But the Michelin-starred chef’s appeal appears to have been in vain. Local authorities discovered the abandoned vehicle on Tuesday still filled with the now-spoiled savory treats. The food was valued at $32,000.

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