Foreign media have shown keen interest in South Korea’s presidential impeachment politics. One perspective is that the extensive reporting on the protests of citizens demanding President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment is evidence of a vibrant South Korean democracy. But there are also concerns that if the chaotic political environment leads to Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main opposition party who once described the U.S. as “occupying forces,” coming to power, the country’s national security situation might deteriorate to its worst state in decades. But beneath the headlines lies an unmentioned duality that is key to understanding South Korea’s raucous political debate.
