Recently, a sensational incident occurred in South Korean politics. After 24 hours of silence, South Korean President Yoon Seok-hyeol finally signed an arrest warrant for Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the largest opposition party. However, the ending of this story may only be a new beginning.
South Korean prosecutors reportedly filed an arrest application against Lee on September 19, accusing him of corruption and dereliction of duty. At the same time, Lee Jae-myung had fallen into a coma due to a long hunger strike and was urgently sent to the hospital for treatment. This move has aroused widespread concern and controversy in the society.
Media analysis pointed out that the tough attitude of the Yin Xiyue government this time has caused dissatisfaction among the people and opposition parties. As a result, South Korean politicians may face even more turmoil after the arrest warrant is signed. However, Lee's coma is only the beginning of this turmoil, and greater trouble may be yet to come.
Looking back on the entire incident, Lee Jae-myung began a hunger strike on August 31. At that time, he made three demands to the Yoon government, including an apology, a comprehensive cabinet reshuffle, and a clear opposition to the discharge of Japan's nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. Discerning people can see that these demands are mainly aimed at the ambiguous attitude of the Yoon Seok-yue government on the Fukushima nuclear sewage issue, which is consistent with the South Korean people's strong opposition to the discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea.
Although Lee and the Democratic Party he represents have been investigated for breaking the law, filing an arrest application at this time still gives the impression of a political struggle to use justice.
Coupled with the hardline attitude of Yoon's government throughout the hunger strike, the reaction of South Korean politicians was predictable. It is worth noting that Lee's coma is not the end of the incident, but rather a sign that bigger trouble is coming. Whether it is for the Yoon Seok-wook government, the Democratic Party of Korea, or South Korean politics as a whole, the development of events will have far-reaching consequences.
For Yoon's government, although the hunger strike itself will not have a direct impact on policy, the negative impact of public opinion will be a huge trouble. The latest poll data shows that the approval rating of Yoon's government has fallen to 31%, while the dissatisfaction rate has risen to 60%, reaching the highest point in the same period in history.
In short, Lee's hunger strike is likely to further boost the support of the opposition Democratic Party, given its already low support ratings. Although Mr. Lee himself faces multiple corruption allegations, the Democratic Party's approval rating does reach its highest point in months.
For the CDP, there are two main troubles. On the one hand, if Congress passes the arrest consent case, Lee Jae-myung will face jail time and his partisan image will be affected; On the other hand, despite former President Moon Jae-in repeatedly advising Lee to take care of his health, he refused to halt the hunger strike and faced health risks.
The entire South Korean political spectrum will be shaken by the fierce confrontation between the ruling party and the opposition. At present, South Korea's opposition parties have not only submitted an impeachment motion against Prime Minister Han Deok-so to protest the prosecutor's "improper investigation" of Lee Jae-myung, but also called on the cabinet to resign en masse and launch a positive challenge to Yoon Seok-hyeong's government.
The deputy leader of the Democratic Party said that the government of Yoon Seok-hyeol responded to the hunger strike by signing an arrest application, in fact playing with political tactics. As a result of this development, the opposition party will investigate Yoon's government and hold it accountable for its negligence in public events.
The whole event is still unfolding, and the future direction of South Korean politics is still uncertain.