The natural result
On the morning of Friday, March 10, the constitutional court of South Korea has approved the December decision of the Parliament on the impeachment of the head of state Park Geun-Hye. This is the first successful impeachment in the country and second in the world for six months, and it also addresses women at the highest state post in September last year, Dilma Rouseff ceased to be President of Brazil. “The negative effect of the President’s actions and their consequences so severe that the benefits of impeaching her from office to protect the Constitution overwhelmingly great,” commented the decision of the constitutional court President Lee Jung Mi.
Scandal Pak broke out in October 2016, when it became known that her close friend Choi sung-SIL used her position to force the nation’s biggest corporations to Fund its charity projects. In November, Choi was arrested, anti-Park charges have not yet been made, but the Prosecutor’s office mentioned the presence of suspicions that the former President was an accomplice Choi in several episodes.
In early December, South Korea’s Parliament endorsed the impeachment of Pak. The head of state was accused that she shared proprietary information with Choi and allowed that to interfere in the state administration, the President was charged with inaction in the wreck of the sewol ferry in April 2014. Then the error command the ship lurched and sank, killing 304 of 476 passengers on Board.
As the national Assembly is the unicameral Parliament, to approve the impeachment law was the constitutional court. On this the judges were given 180 days. In the end, the verdict was for 92 days: the impeachment voted unanimously by all eight judges. The crash of the ferry “Seval”, like some other accusations, the reasons for the impeachment of judges was expelled.
Previously wrote that half of the judges was appointed of the pack and was able to maintain loyalty to it, two more will soon retire at age. Nevertheless, upheld the decision of the Assembly. Now Pak is deprived of immunity, which opens the way for the presentation of her criminal charges.
The constitutional court’s decision has raised the IRE of supporters of the Park who tried to break through police cordons to the courthouse. As the Agency “Renhap”, as a result of the riots killed two elderly protester: one fell loudspeaker, another got sick in the court nearest to the metro station, seven police officers were injured. The organizers of the rally vowed to continue the protests.
The polarization of the nation
Approval of impeachment means that in the next 60 days, i.e. until may 9, the country must undergo presidential elections (scheduled election scheduled for mid-December 2017). The South Korean President is elected for five years and has no right of re-election.
In the last election in December 2012, Park Geun-Hye, who ran from the conservative saenuri party, defeated moon Jae-In from the center-left Democratic party with a score of 51.6 per cent.
“Senuri” from the very beginning of the scandal were trying to distance themselves from the President and even changed the name to “Free Korea”. However, the rebranding didn’t save her from the crisis. In December last year from the ruling party broke away faction of opponents of Pak — 32 deputies, or one-third of the faction, who in January organized a Proper party. A “Free Korea” the only parliamentary parties did not nominate candidates in the early elections. According to the Agency “RenCap”, this is due to the fact that among the leaders of the party of no policy “with double-digit rating.”
The head of the Center for Korean studies Institute of Far Eastern studies, Alexander Jebin finds that the election of 2012 demonstrated the polarization of sentiment in the country. “In fact, society was already split in half, however, Pak did not want to take into account the needs and interests of half of society, or simply forgot about them,” said Jebin. The new President, the expert emphasizes, it is necessary to take into account the interests of the entire political spectrum and adopt a more balanced course to stay in charge of the country until the end of the term.
A new dawn
To the political crisis, the most powerful “independent” candidate was considered by the former UN Secretary-General ban Ki-moon. However, on 1 February, he officially refused to participate in the presidential race, explaining step by unwillingness to become a victim of “phishing attacks, and fake news”. After the decision of the constitutional court, ban called on all citizens to accept such an outcome.
The highest rating is now the rival pack in the last election, moon Jae-In. In early March, according to a survey by Realmeter, he was ready to vote 36.4% of voters. The popularity of acting President Hwang Gyu Ana, who represents the conservative camp, but acts as an “independent” politician who is only 14,9%. The day of impeachment, neither Hwang nor the moon about his intention to run was not announced.
Current rating moon can provide him the presidency, but will still force him to moderate his views, to compromise in domestic and foreign policy, says Jebin. Moon is known as the successor liberal presidents 2000 years of the Kim Dae-Jung and Roh Moo-Hyun, who pursued a policy of dialogue and cooperation with the DPRK.
“US support is the cornerstone of national security, and the Korean war still evokes in Seoul distrust of Pyongyang, reminds Jebin. — So the gap with Washington and the dramatic rapprochement with North Korea should not wait”.
However, when President moon the warming of relations with China, Russia and North Korea is still possible, Jebin emphasizes, noting that the moon opposed the deployment of US missile defense system before new elections.
