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Rival parties leverage foreign remarks, narratives in Yoon impeachment battle

Published: 09 Jan. 2025, 15:51

SEO JI-EUN
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President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung attend a Memorial Day commemoration ceremony on June 6, 2024. [YONHAP]

Rival parties have weaponized remarks — both actual and alleged — by foreign officials and even rumors of foreign involvement in street protests in their ongoing battle over President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law declaration and subsequent impeachment.

The debate was fueled by a column written by U.S. Rep. Young Kim, a Republican of California and a Korean American, in the U.S. outlet The Hill on Monday. In the piece, Kim accused factions leading Yoon's impeachment of "working to undermine the alliance and the U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral partnership," referring South Korea to its official name, the Republic of Korea.

The president's conservative People Power Party (PPP) seized on the column to criticize the opposition.

PPP Chief Spokesperson Shin Dong-wook on Tuesday praised Kim’s remarks as "a meaningful critique" that "both politicians and citizens in Korea should take seriously." He further accused the liberal Democratic Party (DP) of engaging in a "frantic rebellion," claiming the U.S. establishment harbors deep concerns over Korea’s political turmoil.

PPP lawmaker Lee Sang-hwi echoed these sentiments, highlighting that Voice of America, a U.S. government-funded outlet, prominently reported on Kim’s column.

In response, Rep. Kim Joon-hyung of the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party condemned Young Kim’s statements in a press conference on Wednesday.

He accused her of acting as a “mouthpiece for President Yoon and his allies” and “distorting democratic processes.” Kim criticized the PPP for “manipulating" the column to "deceive the public,” arguing that it is Yoon and his administration who "damaged Korea’s diplomacy and undermined its alliances.”

While the DP refrained from directly addressing Young Kim’s column, it shifted focus to PPP lawmakers Yoo Sang-bum and Kim Min-jeon, who alleged that Chinese nationals were "heavily participating" in Yoon's pro-impeachment rallies. They shared unverified posts from social media suggesting Chinese involvement in the protests.

Rep. Kim Min-jeon, former Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, shares a now-deleted post on her Facebook claiming Chinese nationals are attending pro-impeachment rallies. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

DP Policy Chief Jin Sung-joon rebutted the accusations, calling them “groundless rumors” and accusing the PPP of “spreading false propaganda to manipulate public sentiment” on Tuesday.

China’s state-run Global Times also weighed in, with an analyst commenting that some Korean conservative politicians are “inflating Chinese involvement" to "deflect domestic attention and pressure from President Yoon's impeachment."

An alleged conversation between former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg and Kim Tae-hyo, principal deputy national security adviser, also became a hot potato between the presidential office and the DP.

Former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg departs from Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 2 on Jan. 7 after completing his term. [NEWS1]

DP Rep. Chung Dong-young claimed on Tuesday that Kim told Goldberg, even after martial law was lifted in the morning of Dec. 4, that the declaration was "inevitable" to eliminate "anti-state forces." Chung added that Goldberg was “shocked” by these comments.

Kim denied the allegations, calling them “fabricated."

“Spreading false information alienates the Korea-U.S. alliance and must stop immediately,” Kim said, expressing intense regret.

Chung countered by saying that his claims were "based on a highly credible source," and he made them public after "multiple verifications."

"Lies cannot defeat the truth," Chung added.

In an interview with Dong-A Ilbo published Thursday, Goldberg reportedly said that on the night of the martial law declaration on Dec. 3, he received a call from a Foreign Ministry official, during which he voiced opposition to the move. He later contacted someone in the presidential office, again expressing his "grave concern" and demanding an explanation.

Goldberg admitted that he raised his voice during the call, stressing that the martial law declaration would severely damage Korea’s international reputation.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]