Daniel A. Pinkston, Ph.D.

The memes will write themselves...

It's looking more and more like a second coup. WTH?

Three South Korean residents in Seoul hold signs calling for the arrest of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who declared martial law last week.

Monday morning here in Seoul. Saw these folks during my walk to the bus.

That's consistent with the vibe I've been feeling. I have no reason to disbelieve those figures.

That has not happened to Yoon. But he has been named one of the suspects in the broader investigation surrounding the martial law declaration.

Props to @koreanforeigner.bsky.social and Korea Pro for getting the terminology right. The Korean in the reporting is 입건 (立件), which often means to "book someone on criminal charges." In English, that generates images of being dragged to the police station and photographed, fingerprinted, etc.

On Dec 3, 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law. 600+ political scientists of South Korea condemned this in a joint statement, urging impeachment. **We ask political scientists worldwide to please read & sign in support**: bit.ly/3Bfxc2j

People might think it's hyperbole, but I would carry my passport or other ID and/or birth certificate at all times. I'd also have an attorney on speed-dial to submit a habeas corpus motion in court ASAP if necessary.

The contractor running the detention centers will have an incentive to detain as many people as possible and bill the government for "services." You could be a drunkard in the park, teenagers hanging out on the street, a hooligan, or dissident, etc.

At some point, your citizenship might not even matter. You could be swept up in a raid and detained. If you are not carrying your passport and birth certificate, the authorities could assume you are not a citizen, and you could disappear for who knows how long.

Hey, no worries. I've had a couple of typos as well, as we've been drinking from a fire hose of info the last few days. 😆

Don't you hate autocorrect sometimes? Choo Mi-ae (추미애), of course, but no biggie.

This is being done in part because the PPP apparently deleted the headshots of party members from its website. Just total cowardice out of the PPP.

Last week we tried a junta, this week we are doing a party state. Which unaccountable form of government will be attempted next week? Stay tuned to find out!

I know a woman who works for an NGO in Seoul on this issue. They bring adoptees back who are looking for relatives. Ping me if interested and I can put the two of you in touch. I'm sure she would be willing to provide info on their experiences.

Call for a general strike across all walks of life. Laborers and self-employed. Shut down all production centers and logistical and transportation routes. Public officials and educators. Many of the people in unions in these sectors are progressive in their politics and will heed the call.

2. Those PPP members who refused to vote for impeachment on the 7th must apologize to citizens
3. PPP members should vote for impeachment when the next motion is submitted
4. After passing the impeachment motion, National Assembly members must work with citizens to restore & strengthen democracy

573 Korean political science scholars have issued a public statement declaring that Yoon's impeachment is the only way to resolve the current situation. They have 4 demands:

1. Resubmit an impeachment motion in the National Assembly
...

According to South Korean law, a political party can be disbanded if "its activities run counter to the basic order of democracy specified in the Constitution."

english.ccourt.go.kr/site/eng/03/...

"내란 공범 국민의힘 해산하라"…광주서 2천500명 집회 | 연합뉴스 (광주=연합뉴스) 정회성 김혜인 기자 = 국회의 윤석열 대통령 탄핵소추안 표결에 불참한 국민의힘을 규탄하는 집회가 8일 광주 도심에서 열렸다.

About 2,500 protestors gathered in Kwangju today calling for Yoon's arrest and the PPP's dissolution. Protesters say that PPP members who failed to vote for Yoon's impeachment are accomplices in the rebellion against the constitutional order.

www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR2024...

I keep telling myself that. "There must be more to this. What secret arrangements have they made or intend to make?"

But I'm not seeing it. Of course, they have superior information, but it looks like serious miscalculation from my vantage point. Time will tell.

I'm not a politician, and certainly not a Korean one, but if I were a PPP member and not complicit with Yoon's martial law declaration, I think it might be a good time to jump ship despite any aversion I might feel for LJM.

I think Han and Han are playing with fire. They are not immune from criminal prosecution, and investigations are already underway, which will entangle co-conspirators. It seems like a desperate choice that almost certainly will fail.

John Linton (known in Korean as In Yohan) was a translator for the democracy protesters fighting Chun Doo Hwan’s coup in 1980. Today as a member of the PPP he failed to vote at all on impeached of another would-be Korean tyrant. Sad to see how some people make such egregious compromises for power.

[속보] 우의장 "대통령 권한의 총리·여당 공동행사, 명백한 위헌" | 연합뉴스 (

National Assembly Speaker Wu says the plan for Prine Minister Han and the PPP to manage state affairs on behalf of Yoon is clearly unconstitutional.

www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR2024...

The Rebuilding Korea Party spokeswoman says they will submit 100 impeachment motions, 1,000 impeachment motions, or however many are necessary. She reiterates the position of the opposition parties that the only way to deal with this constitutionally is impeachment.

The Rebuilding Korea Party is going to submit impeachment motions for Prime Minister Han and Justice Minister Park Song-jae (박성재) as well. It's a busy Sunday in Korean politics...

The minor opposition Rebuilding Korea (祖國革新黨) is holding a meeting now to draft a new motion to impeach Yoon.

Kim said six months is much too long to wait for Yoon to be removed, and even six more seconds of Yoon in power is dangerous. In sum, the statement by Han Dong-hoon and Han Duck-soo will not resolve the issue; it will only worsen the crisis.

The DP response was swift and blistering, with Kim Min-seok (김민석) listing the duties that only the president can execute, especially command of the armed forces. Kim says this "rebellion is not over," and that the Hans, among others, will be investigated.