Inordinate delay

South Koreans impeached their president Yoon Suk Yeol on Dec. 14 last year for briefly imposing martial law on Dec. 3 to quell opposition to his government.

- ANA MARIE PAMINTUAN

Also impeached on Dec. 12 were the justice minister and national police chief. The former defense chief was arrested days earlier. The prime minister who took over from Yoon in an acting capacity was also impeached on Dec. 27 for refusing to fill vacancies in the Constitutional Court.

At around that time in Manila, impeachment complaints were filed at the House of Representatives against Vice President Sara Duterte, for multiple offenses including corruption and betrayal of public trust over her alleged misuse of over P600 million in confidential funds as VP and secretary of education.

On Jan. 15, Korean police and anti-corruption investigators raided the presidential compound and detained Yoon. He was formally arrested on Jan. 19 and indicted on Jan. 26 for attempted rebellion but released on March 7.

On March 24, Korea's Constitutional Court reversed the prime minister's impeachment and restored him as acting president. On April 4, the Constitutional Court upheld Yoon's impeachment and removed him from office, and called an election within 60 days. That was less than four months from his impeachment.

Last June 3, with a voter turnout of nearly 80 percent, South Korea elected opposition leader Lee Jae-myung as president. That was just six months from the day the impeachable offense was committed.