South Korea goes way left

South Korea’s presidential election took a hard left turn on Tuesday, with official vote tallies handing victory to comrade Lee Jae-myung, a left-wing opposition leader. He trounced a conservative candidate tied to the disgraced former president Yoon Suk Yeol, whose disastrous martial law stunt in December cratered his political career.

So it seems that voters went with their emotions, not with their brains.

The election could signal a “kind of a return to normal politics” after six months of chaos, especially as U.S. tariffs loom large, stirring economic uncertainty, according to one expert. But don’t hold your breath, Lee’s victory reeks of trouble. He’s poised to cozy up to China and play footsie with North Korea, a move that’s sure to raise eyebrows in Washington and among freedom-loving South Koreans.

Lee campaigned as a unifier, riding the wave of backlash against Yoon’s martial law debacle. But the Korea JoongAng Daily nailed it: he “will need to navigate a deeply polarized electorate and a shifting geopolitical landscape.” 

Good luck with that when your playbook seems to involve appeasing dictators and alienating allies. South Korea’s in for a rocky ride.

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South Korea in chaos: President Yoel calls for martial law, Parliament rescinds and Yoel wants both sides arrested

Earlier today, President Yoon Suk Yoel, imposed martial law over the country claiming it is due to the North Korea communist threat and the elements of it inside the parliament. However, both parties within the S. Korean parliament decided together to lift the martial law--some of the soldiers even began to leave parliament but the military leaders said that martial law must remain in effect until the President lifts it.

Now the latest word is that Yoel has instructed the military to storm its parliament and raid the offices and arrest the opposition leader, both the socialist leader, Lee Jae-myung, and the conservative leader, Han Dong-hoon, of his own party. 

Yeol addressed the nation after midnight when he declared martial law, stating that it would be imposed immediately, but the South Korean National Assembly, aka Democratic Party opposed it. Even his own party, as mentioned, opposed martial law.

Despite the assembly chamber being closed and under military guard, 195 assembly members convened outside the building and voted unanimously to overturn the decree. Only 150 votes from the 300-member assembly were needed to repeal the president's edict.

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-Shik declared that lawmakers “will protect democracy with the people.” He urged the police and soldiers to vacate the National Assembly grounds, and they complied.

The military leadership aligns with Yoon. A military spokesperson echoed Yoon's claim that the parliament could lead to “social confusion” and should be suspended.

The South Korean Democratic Party has moved beyond mere opposition into outright obstructionism. Yoon's legislative agenda is now stalled, with little chance of revival in the near future. Yoon accused the Democrats of transforming the nation into a “drug haven” and causing disorder. “The National Assembly has become a monster undermining liberal democracy, and the nation is in a precarious state, teetering on the edge of collapse," Yoon stated in his television address.

“We will eliminate the anti-state forces and restore the country to normalcy as quickly as possible," Yoon assured the public.

The leader of Yoon's conservative People Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, labeled the decision to impose martial law as “wrong” and pledged to “stop it with the people.” Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, denounced Yoon's announcement as “illegal and unconstitutional.”

Yoon, in a televised speech, argued that martial law would assist in “rebuilding and protecting” the country from “falling into the depths of national ruin.” He claimed he would “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.”

“I will eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalize the country,” he said, asking the public to trust him and tolerate “some inconveniences.”

The martial law order forbids “denying free democracy or attempting a subversion” and criminalizes “fake news” along with “manipulating public opinion.” It also demands that doctors resume work, ending their months-long strike against increased medical school admissions. “Strikes, work stoppages and rallies that incite social chaos” are also banned.

Citizens have already begun to fill the streets in protest.

Given the military's division and public demonstrations against the first imposition of martial law in 40 years, what could Yoon's future hold?

The Democratic members of the assembly have been quick to initiate impeachments, having already removed three prosecutors and several ministers. President Yoon himself is under investigation for corruption, and this martial law decree seems to offer yet more ammunition for his detractors.

It's quite likely that Yeol will be impeached. At the least, he has royally screwed up.

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N. Korea insults Biden and warns of "serious danger"

Kim Yo Jong, the skinny yet powerful sister of North Korea's Kim Jong Un, has warned that the new U.S.-South Korea defense agreement threatens regional peace and said Saturday to state media that the alleged President Joseph Robinette Biden should be ready for "far too great an after-storm." She added that the agreement would only lead to "more serious danger."

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was in Washington earlier last week to seek security assurances from Biden, and will he promise not to lie to them like he often does about everything.

After the summit on Wednesday, Biden claimed that any North Korean nuclear attack on the US or its allies would "result in the end of whatever regime" took such action.

Kim Yo Jong said that the summit actually strengthened North Korea's resolve to enhance its nuclear arms capabilities and that a nuclear deterrent "should be brought to further perfection." Iran is also working on that category of 'perfection.'

One of the promises by the US is to have US nuclear submarines make port calls in South Korea, for the first time in over 40 years.

Inspiring confidence and trust

The two countries also committed to plans for bilateral presidential consultations in the event of a nuclear attack from North Korea, the establishment of a nuclear consultative group and improved information exchange.

Kim, who is North Korea's top foreign policy official, stated that the agreement reflected the "most hostile and aggressive will of action" against North Korea and threatens regional peace and security, reported KCNA, the state media agency.

She also described President Biden as senile and "too miscalculating and irresponsibly brave." She is correct about the senile part, but brave is a communist lie.

She added that Pyongyang wouldn't simply dismiss his words and that he "should be prepared for far too great an after-storm." 

The only after-storm Biden experiences is what happens an hour after his oatmeal.

Biden's meeting with President Yoon came amid the increased tension in the Korean Peninsula.

In a historical, flip-off of a sanction-defying move, North Korea test-fired about 100 missiles since the start of 2022 and Kim Jong Un is likely to increase those numbers soon as he continues to flaunt North Korea's nuclear capabilities.

Meanwhile, South Korea isn't sitting on its haunches as it has increased military training with the US and calling on nuclear scientists to increase production of weapons-grade material.

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Kim Jong Un ready to fight US and "eliminate" South Korea

Corpulent Leader for Life of North Korea Kim Jong Un is now threatening to "eliminate" South Korea and claims the is ready for battle with the United States and isn't afraid to have any of his people die for his cause. He made this speech to mark the 69th anniversary of the armistice deal that ceased the fighting in the Korean War.

Fat Kim made his first public appearance in nearly three weeks. His speech was one of his bellicose in rhetoric against South Korea since President Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative, took office in May. 

Yoon pledged to take a tough line toward Pyongyang.

Kim said that  “US imperialists are pushing the South Korean authorities into a suicidal confrontation” with his nation, the state’s official Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday.

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Should Kim go forward in a confrontation with South Korea, U.S. President Joe Biden said, "Huminah nominah, baloopadoo, Jack," or something like that.

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