by Pascale Rizk
Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - "When it comes to building a country in which the fundamental principle of democracy, according to which all are equal before the law, is respected and in which no one can impose his own opinion by violating democratic procedures, the Catholic Church of Korea will stand with the people until the end," said the Catholic Bishops of South Korea, following the approval by the National Assembly of the motion to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol.
In the past eleven days, the South Korean people have "gone through difficult times" but "have shown great patience by acting democratically and moderately," said the Bishops, who call for "putting aside political conflicts and working together for the good of the State and the well-being of the people."
The six hours that passed between the declaration of martial law by President Yoon and its lifting by Parliament were more than enough to reactivate the memory of a past that was thought to be archived, prompting numerous people to take to the streets and squares. The collective response took the form of a peaceful but determined protest aimed at protecting the democratic institutions acquired after decades of Japanese occupation, the Korean War, the armistice and a series of authoritarian governments and military coups. In any case, even today - the bishops' statement reads - it is "extremely unpleasant to be faced with the need to remove the Head of State through impeachment, regardless of whether one supported him or not".
"Every president," say the South Korean bishops, "is called to exercise his office sincerely and responsibly, respecting the Constitution and the laws. If the exercise of office does not respect the laws and fundamental principles, in a democratic society anyone must be removed from office. This is justice in a democratic society.” The bishops again appeal to the president and his government to ask the people for forgiveness and hope that the Supreme Court “will promptly judge this crucial issue so that the country can regain stability and citizens’ daily lives can return to normal as soon as possible.”
The Constitutional Court now has 180 days to review, confirm or reject the impeachment proceedings against the president passed by parliament. Yoon is the third South Korean president to be impeached. The proceedings will begin after the National Assembly formally submits its resolution.
In previous cases, the proceedings against former President Park Geun-hye ended after 91 days in 2017 with a unanimous verdict (8-0), leading to her removal after her impeachment proceedings were passed in 2016. The 2004 impeachment of former President Roh Moo-hyun, on the other hand, was rejected by the Constitutional Court after a 63-day review period, and Roh returned to his post as president. It remains to be seen whether Yoon will choose to defend himself or not to show up, as former presidents Roh and Park did. (Agenzia Fides, 15/12/2024)