What Actually Mattered This Week: South Korea’s (Brief) Descent into Martial Law
WHAT ACTUALLY MATTERED THIS WEEK
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol shocked the world by (briefly and unlawfully) declaring emergency martial law before reversing course a few hours later.
Yoon became deeply unpopular after being swept up in corruption scandals and repeatedly criticized opposition lawmakers for thwarting his agenda.
There’s no doubt he will be impeached shortly and the rest of the world will no longer be talking about the episode in a matter of days.
An important takeaway: South Korea will remain a democracy thanks to the strength of its democratic institutions, including the parliament’s unanimous vote to upend the decree.
Mexico’s successful fentanyl raid came only a week after Donald Trump threatened the country with tariffs if they didn’t get cross-border drug (and human) smuggling under control.
Coincidence? I think not.
France’s government has been teetering on the edge, and this week, far-right and far-left lawmakers teamed up to finally topple it with a no-confidence vote after losing a budget standoff.
I’d like to extend my congratulations to Macron’s government on achieving the shortest serving administration in the modern French Republic (only three months).
Biden and his administration repeatedly said that Hunter Biden wasn’t going to get a pardon for his crimes.
There’s no reason to try and justify his move.
Democrats and Republicans alike should own it and recognize the power and privilege that allows such a decision.
TRUTHS, DAMNED TRUTHS, AND STATISTICS
The average salary needed for Americans to be in the top 1%: $800,000.
- Axios
THE GZERO WORLD WE’RE JUST LIVING IN
THE GRAPHIC TRUTH
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MY QUICK TAKE
A Turkey-backed militant Islamist group called HTS managed to snag Aleppo, one of Syria’s largest cities, catching everybody off guard. But why now, after the Syrian civil war had been frozen for years?
PUPPET REGIME
The incoming US president takes on America’s biggest trading partner:
DIG DEEPER: GZERO DAILY BY IAN BREMMER
It’s beginning to look a lot like the holiday season here in New York — so in the Christmas spirit, I decided to answer your most pressing questions in a December edition of my mailbag series. Want to know what I think about Trump’s latest picks for his new administration? What’s next for the Middle East? Gladiator II vs. Wicked? Ask, and you shall receive.
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BECAUSE THE INTERNET
Welcome to the failed coup hall of fame soon to be ex-president Yoon.
WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK
Money makes the world go round…but some still find it hard to wrap their heads around all things finance. Aficionados and newbies alike will lose themselves in Andrew Leigh’s “How Economics Explains the World.” His sweeping history explores how economic forces shaped every era of human progress (all in under 200 pages).
DEEP THOUGHTS
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward
Thanks for reading! Please subscribe to GZERO Daily for coverage of global politics. And make sure to read my latest book The Power of Crisis for a roadmap of this decade's great crises and how they might help us build a better world.
Fulfillment Specialist trained full Amazon Fed Ex, | Technical Support Enterprise level. Tuk 5 DC Manage and Deploy All. Microsoft, HP, Compuserve, Apple.
2moThis moment is important because it reflects the challenges democracies face globally. South Korea’s response to this crisis will provide a powerful case study in the resilience of democratic institutions and the role of civil society in preserving freedoms.
Healthcare & Life Sciences Enthusiast
2moWhile President Yoons declaration of Martial law was quite out of place in a democratic society, is his claim that the opposition party has elements with strong ties with North Korea completely without grounds? Do you have any information on that?
Policy Researcher and Institutional Consultant
3moThe South Korean President 's idiosyncratic behaviour led to a brief descent into emergency martial law exposing the fragility and experimentation of democracy in the country.
kerja cerdas
3moActually, it doesn't have to be a problem... we return to our individual selves... it's not that we want to be arrogant and proud of our own country... but our country is indeed worthy of emulation. Greetings Rahayu
Air Force officer (ret)-ATC
3moDemocracy is in decline. Look at S.Corea , Romania , HB etc.Along with democracy is the West….