IPSE by Day - 03 December 2024

Darcie Draudt-Véjares

Inserted 1 month ago

“President Yoon Suk-yeol's miscalculation reveals the depth of his administration's crisis and desperation to deal with political turmoil within his own party. Yoon has been facing opposition not just from outside his party but also within - including from his own party chair Han Dong-hoo - amid a growing number of scandals. This attempt to override democratic institutions suggests either desperate overreach or grievous undemocratic impulses. The swift lifting of the martial law order and the past three decades have shown that South Koreans will not tolerate democratic backsliding - even if its leaders from Yoon to the ousted President Park Geun-hye fail them.”

Aje

Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Asia Program

03 Dec 2024 4 2

Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Inserted 1 month ago

“The Syrian regime must engage in a genuine political process to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.”

Middleeasteye

Turkish President

03 Dec 2024 2 2

Jean H. Lee

Inserted 1 month ago

“It was a gamble he took to try to impose political control at a time when he feels frustrated by his inability to carry out his vision for the country. But at the end of the day. President Yoon values South Korea's alliance with the United States, its place in the world as a leading global economy and its reputation as a vibrant democracy in Asia.”

Nytimes

Korea expert at the East-West Center in Hawaii

03 Dec 2024 3 2

Jenny Town

Inserted 1 month ago

“The move appeared desperate and dangerous and could spell the beginning of the end of Yoon's presidency. He was already unpopular, but this might just be the final straw to move impeachment processes forward.”

Koreatimes

Korea specialist, Senior Fellow at StimsonCenter, Director of 38 North

03 Dec 2024 4 2

Mason Richey

Inserted 1 month ago

“For a president [Yoon Suk Yeol] who has focused so much on Korea's international reputation, this makes Korea look very unstable. This will have a negative effect on financial and currency markets and Korea's diplomatic place in the world.”

Koreatimes

Professor at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul

03 Dec 2024 3 2

Vladimir Putin

Inserted 1 month ago

“Someone from the outside says, 'A strategic defeat should be inflicted on Russia.' What does that mean? Destruction. Time after time. However, there have always been people who rise up to defend [the country].”

Tass

President of Russia

03 Dec 2024 3 2

Natalia Slavney

Inserted 1 month ago

“President Yoon's martial law declaration was a miscalculation. The fact that hundreds of people showed up to protest in the middle of the night, and that 190 members of parliament arrived for a unanimous, emergency vote condemning the declaration, was a sign of the country's robust political pluralism. South Korea is no stranger to mass protests and swift impeachments, which we saw back in 2017 with the impeachment of Park Geun-hye after mass protests and candlelight vigils. South Korea definitely has a history of the public making its sentiments known about actions by their presidents.”

Aje

Research analyst at the Stimson Center and assistant editor for '38 North'

03 Dec 2024 4 2

Greg Scarlatoiu

Inserted 1 month ago

“Parliament moved swiftly to reject President Yoon's martial law order, but that does not put to rest concerns about democratic backsliding in South Korea. Article 77 of the South Korean constitution stipulates that martial law may be declared when the country basically faces an existential threat, it seems that this is a fairly frivolous exercise in declaring martial law. Still, the dramatic events of the last hours are likely to have lasting repercussions for South Korea. South Korea is a global economic powerhouse, it's the world's 12th largest economy, we like to think of South Korea as a true, liberal democracy. Of course martial law has been declared 16 times in the history of South Korea since 1948 but it seems that this time this was a very rushed decision. While there may be some basis to Yoon's assertion that the opposition Democratic Party, which holds the majority in parliament, has made it impossible for the executive branch to operate, which the president perceived as a threat to national security, the fact that 190 members of parliament rejected martial law was a sign the president had overreached. Is it an exercise in democracy? Sure. Is it a self correction of South Korean democracy? Sure. Does this help increase faith and confidence in South Korean democracy? Probably not.”

Aje

President and CEO of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea

03 Dec 2024 5 2

Katharine Moon

Inserted 1 month ago

“This is an outstanding turn of events given South Korea's pretty recent history. South Korea's democracy is still very young, only starting in 1988 after nearly three decades of authoritarian rule, much of which had been a very harsh dictatorship under three different dictators. South Korea is more noted around the world for its vibrant, massive, almost celebratory democracy movement starting in the 1980s. It is astounding that a democracy that celebrates its newness, its vibrancy, had to experience a backward thrust, perpetrated by Mr Yoon. The fact that Yoon's martial law declaration lasted only a few hours in the middle of the night says a lot. South Koreans in general do not put up with this nonsense.”

Aje

Political science professor at Wellesley College

03 Dec 2024 3 2

Rodger Baker

Inserted 1 month ago

“His demand on the parliament stopping impeachment hearings and becoming collaborative is probably the exact opposite of what we're going to see coming out of this. There are going to be strong political repercussions on this president, not only from within the parliament, probably from within his own party, but certainly from the population of South Korea.”

Aje

Director of the Stratfor Center for Applied Geopolitics

03 Dec 2024 3 3

Park Chan-dae

Inserted 1 month ago

“Even if the president lifts the martial law, he cannot avoid being held accountable for his attempts to disrupt the government. We are now saying loud and clear that the president is not fit to serve as the leader of the country. This is the order from our country. The president has to step down.”

Aje

Democratic Party floor leader

03 Dec 2024 2 3

Sojin Lim

Inserted 1 month ago

“This was a really radical decision by Yoon, and I think this was the only route for him as a last resort. So I think this will become the catalyst amongst the population in South Korea, and this will probably lead to the impeachment of the president.”

Aje

Co-director of the International Institute of Korean Studies at the University of Central Lancashire in the United Kingdom

03 Dec 2024 2 3

Lee Jae-myung

Inserted 1 month ago

“Democratic Party lawmakers, including me and many others, will protect our country's democracy and future and public safety, lives and properties, with our own lives.”

Aje

Leader of the opposition Democratic Party

03 Dec 2024 2 2

Koo Se-woong

Inserted 1 month ago

“This motion that has been passed by the National Assembly, it does not just call on him [Yoon] to rescind the martial law declaration. It compels him to. It seems that the president is very much cornered and isolated, without allies. Will he continue to do something foolish on his own, or will he finally accept the reality and decide that he doesn't have many options left?”

Aje

Managing editor of Korea Expose

03 Dec 2024 2 2

Eunice Kim

Inserted 1 month ago

“This is not a new call; there have been several rallies in recent months of people who did not vote for President Yoon Suk-yeol and feel that they are held back by the conservative government. They have been holding rallies to express their discontent, and we have heard rhetoric calling for the president to step down or be impeached. I have to emphasise this was a minor sentiment. But now with this big move by the president - in a very surprising way that even shocked some of his closest aides, according to initial local reports - it seems that he's really driven himself into a corner.”

Aje

Al Jazeera’s journalist reporting from Seoul

03 Dec 2024 2 3

Youngshik Bong

Inserted 1 month ago

“Declarations of martial law under Article 77 of the constitution must be reserved for the most serious situations, such as actual war. But we don't have this situation. This is not a game the president can win. Yoon may resist the resolution passed by the South Korean parliament earlier, seeking to block the martial law declaration. The president was seriously concerned, politically speaking before he made his surprise martial law announcement. But it's going to backfire. His impeachment is really in the cards now.”

Aje

Visiting professor at Yonsei University and an adviser for South Korea’s Ministry of Unification

03 Dec 2024 5 2

Oh Se-hoon

Inserted 1 month ago

“I oppose martial law. Martial law must be withdrawn.”

Aje

Seoul Mayor

03 Dec 2024 1 2

Koo Se-woong

Inserted 1 month ago

“This [the National Assembly] is the main legislative body for the country, suggesting that lawmakers are being prevented or stopped from entering the building. This is a crucial piece of information because the National Assembly in fact has the power to lift martial law if the majority of them will agree. The opposition Democratic Party currently has the majority in the legislature. So if the president is stopping them from doing their duty, then there are questions as to whether this declaration of martial law can even be construed as legal or constitutional in the first place.”

Aje

Managing editor of Korea Expose

03 Dec 2024 3 2

Lee Jae-myung

Inserted 1 month ago

“Tanks, armoured personnel carriers and soldiers with guns and knives will rule the country. The economy of the Republic of Korea will collapse irretrievably. My fellow citizens, please come to the National Assembly.”

Aje

Leader of the opposition Democratic Party

03 Dec 2024 2 2

Yoon Seok-youl

Inserted 1 month ago

“To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea's communist forces and to eliminate antistate elements, … I hereby declare emergency martial law. With no regard for the livelihoods of the people, the opposition party has paralysed governance solely for the sake of impeachments, special investigations and shielding their leader from justice... I will restore the country to normalcy by getting rid of antistate forces as soon as possible.”

Aje

President of South Korea

03 Dec 2024 2 2

Benjamin Netanyahu

Inserted 1 month ago

“It is a very strong statement, which makes it clear that there is one party responsible for this situation - and that is Hamas. Hamas must release the hostages. Trump put the emphasis in the right place - on Hamas, and not on the Israeli government, as is customary in some places.”

Timesofisrael

Prime Minister of Israel

03 Dec 2024 3 1

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“The Syrian regime must engage in a genuine political process to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.”

“The move appeared desperate and dangerous and could spell the beginning of the end of Yoon's presidency. He was already unpopular, but this might just be the final straw to move impeachment processes forward.”

“For a president [Yoon Suk Yeol] who has focused so much on Korea's international reputation, this makes Korea look very unstable. This will have a negative effect on financial and currency markets and Korea's diplomatic place in the world.”

“Someone from the outside says, 'A strategic defeat should be inflicted on Russia.' What does that mean? Destruction. Time after time. However, there have always been people who rise up to defend [the country].”

“This was a really radical decision by Yoon, and I think this was the only route for him as a last resort. So I think this will become the catalyst amongst the population in South Korea, and this will probably lead to the impeachment of the president.”

“Democratic Party lawmakers, including me and many others, will protect our country's democracy and future and public safety, lives and properties, with our own lives.”

“I oppose martial law. Martial law must be withdrawn.”

“Tanks, armoured personnel carriers and soldiers with guns and knives will rule the country. The economy of the Republic of Korea will collapse irretrievably. My fellow citizens, please come to the National Assembly.”

“It is a very strong statement, which makes it clear that there is one party responsible for this situation - and that is Hamas. Hamas must release the hostages. Trump put the emphasis in the right place - on Hamas, and not on the Israeli government, as is customary in some places.”

December 2024

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