Memories of Dictatorship in South Korea

https://consortiumnews.com/2024/12/03/south-koreas-6-hour-martial-law/

In what seemed like a power grab, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law but when challenged he backed down. Now the fallout.

There will be more to come I'm sure. Western outlets will spin these events, possibly throwing Yoon under the bus. There's bound to a debate at present over whether to continue supporting him. The State Department will take one line - and the Pentagon another. The White House and CIA will probably have the most influence on the overall decision. Biden's hold might be somewhat tenuous at this point and any decree can easily be delayed and obstructed. From the standpoint of the United States, the timing was bad - made worse by the fact that Biden is on his Africa trip.

The Consortium piece provides a quick and easy summary of what's at stake and why Yoon is championed by Washington. Few Americans understand that the moment a war is declared - the entire South Korean military is under direct US command.

I'm sure I've mentioned it before but 2018's The Spy Gone North is mandatory viewing for anyone interested in post-Cold War Korean geopolitics. As fascinating as the movie is, the real life Park Chae-seo outstrips the character (based on him) in the movie. The tale of corruption, American control and manipulation, false flags, and disinformation reveals something of the complicated mosaic of Korean politics. The real story often does not match up with the official narratives provided in the media.

I also recommend the works of Bruce Cumings though he is not appreciated by the American Establishment.

Any South Koreans familiar with their own history know full well that America's talk of democracy and freedom is a pack of lies. They struggled for over forty years to free their country from American-backed dictatorial control. Since the late 1980's South Korea has had a democratic system but it remains a client state - with its intelligence agencies and military still controlled by Washington. As the article suggests Yoon is leading the country on a path of war. The Americans will not tolerate anything less. It's hard for Americans or Westerners to appreciate the feelings about the Japanese alliance. There are very hard feelings not just from World War II but the decades prior when Korea was reduced to being a colony or vassal state under Tokyo's domination. This tale plays into the politics of the North-South divide, and public perceptions in the South of the US-sponsored dictatorships, and the narratives concerning the North.

Whether Yoon remains or is removed in the next few weeks, the next chapter in the story will involve the Trump administration. And it's anyone's guess as to how that will play out. Yoon has faced domestic resistance as the article suggests but I don't think it a stretch to say this is but an early chapter in the international chaos and fallout of Trump's second administration. As before it's already sending shockwaves across the globe. Shinzo Abe rushed to meet with Trump in late 2016 - this time it was Justin Trudeau. US allies, client states, and satrapies are holding their breath and making plans - Yoon included. We'll see if he moved too soon and will be removed from the game.