A stunning two weeks in South Korea

Hundreds of thousands of protestors celebrated in Seoul over the weekend as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the National Parliament. 

Yoon, who was elected by a narrow margin in 2022, oversaw deepening political divisions and a population increasingly frustrated by income inequality. His tenure was marked by scandals and unpopular choices. But his administration reached a breaking point when Yoon declared martial law in early December, outraging many Koreans who saw the move as an unwelcome return to the authoritarian rule of decades past.

Washington Post Tokyo bureau chief Michelle Ye Hee Lee was among the crowd celebrating outside the National Assembly, talking to protestors about why they were so excited to see the president impeached. She joins “Post Reports” to explain how Yoon fell from power, who will lead the country next and what lessons other countries can take from a tense 11 days in South Korea. 

Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff with help from Elana Gordon and Sabby Robinson.

It was edited by Maggie Penman with help from Lucy Perkins, and mixed by Sam Bair. 

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