South Korea’s President Has Terrible Timing
Yoon Suk Yeol plunged the economy into chaos at a time when a little bit of stability, anywhere, would be nice.
Yoon Suk Yeol’s political capital is fast diminishing.
Photographer: Woohae Cho/BloombergSouth Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol has terrible timing. His declaration of martial law has tested the resilience of his country’s democracy, at a time when the economy is under pressure, and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un has been furthering his nuclear weapons ambitions. A little stability would have been nice.
Yoon managed to avoid impeachment over the weekend by just a handful of votes, but pressure for him to step down is intensifying. On Monday, the justice department banned the president from traveling overseas, while he is under investigation for leading an insurrection. Beyond this turmoil, he is facing a number of challenges to an economy already in jeopardy.