The Untold Story Behind the Impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol| Kang Yong-suk

Some in South Korea are circulating the idea that Yoon will be ousted and that Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung will take power in an early presidential election. Japanese voters share similar concerns about this scenario. However, a more realistic assessment is that Yoon and Lee are effectively locked in for a second round of the presidential election.

Anticipating an early presidential election, Lee Jae-myung is now trying to present himself as a pro-Japan and pro-U.S. figure. However, I emphasize that Lee remains fundamentally anti-Japan and anti-U.S. His about-face is simply a strategic transformation, a chameleon-like shift in appearance. Japanese readers should remember that Lee Jae-myung is the same person who once referred to Japan’s release of treated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant as “nuclear waste” and even likened it to a declaration of a “second Pacific War.” Regarding Seoul and Tokyo’s military ties, Lee went as far as to call Japan “South Korea’s nemesis state.”

To that end, curbing the rise of Lee Jae-myung is crucial. The United States, a shared ally of both South Korea and Japan, has already begun to push back against him. The Voice of America (VOA) and Representative Young Kim, a Republican congresswoman from California, have publicly voiced their concerns, among others. Japan must remain vigilant in monitoring these developments.

Fortunately, President Yoon’s approval ratings have recently surpassed 50%, exceeding the percentage of votes he received during his presidential election. In contrast, Lee Jae-myung still faces multiple criminal trials and has yet to break the critical 40% threshold in the polls. This unequivocally demonstrates that more South Koreans support Yoon’s return than Lee’s ascent. The numbers speak for themselves.