Managing US-South Korea Relations under the Shadow of Impeachment

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol currently faces both an impeachment trial and a criminal trial for his declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024, and related charges of seeking to undermine South Korea’s democratic processes. If the Constitutional Court rules to uphold Yoon’s impeachment, he would be the second president in the country’s history to be impeached and formally removed from office following Park Geun-hye’s removal from office in 2017, an event that coincided with the start of the first Donald Trump administration. What is the impact on alliance management that results from a prolonged leadership vacuum in South Korea and the resulting political transition? How do officials cope with such circumstances, and what is the overall impact on alliance consultations and cooperation mechanisms under such circumstances?

Please join KEI for a discussion with former high-level US and South Korean officials and experts to assess the status and prospects for the US-South Korea relationship under the shadow of Yoon’s impeachment proceedings. Ahn Ho-young, former South Korean ambassador to the United States (2013 to 2017), Vincent Brooks, former commander of United States Forces Korea, United Nations Command, and ROK-US Combined Forces Command (2016 to 2018), and Sheena Chestnut Greitens, associate professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, will discuss these topics and more.

The hybrid panel event will run from 10:00-11:00 AM at KEI’s office and be livestreamed on KEI’s YouTube channel.