Exceptionalism Cradled between Oceans: Reach of Belligerence Approaches Eightieth Year

US elements and entities, puppet and puppeteers, plunge their fangs into the peoples of Korea spreading venomous disease throughout Southeast Asia (and beyond)

A President Betrays his Countrymen (his countrywomen, compatriots, fellow citizens)

Lawyer-Prosecutor Yoon Suk Yeol (Republic of Korea aka South Korea), political independent-2021 People Power Party (aka PPP, ‘Power of Nationals’ formerly United Future Party or UFP) convert

Career from 1994 employed in the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Daegu

• 2006 credited with apprehending Chung Mong-koo for complicity in slush fund case at Hyundai Motor Company
• 2013 leading special investigation team looking into the National Intelligence Service (NIS)’s involvement in the 2012 NIS public opinion manipulation scandal (demoted from Seoul to Daegu’s prosecutor’s office, and later headed investigations into 2016 allegations pertaining to principals at Samsung)
• 2017 (May 19) becomes (appointed) chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office and led investigation into accounting fraud at Samsung
• 2020 (April) under attack by lawmakers surrounding his office’s investigations into election law violation related to both “ruling and opposition politicians” and “suspected election rigging” of a mayoral race” involving (2018) “senior secretaries” in top government office; 2020 (November 24) suspended from office by Minister of Justice “citing alleged ethical violations, abuse of power, and interference into investigations of his associates and family members (suspension later overturned)
• 2021: (March 4) resigned position as prosecutor-general, (July 30) joins People Power Party (instead of being “independent”), is nominated by the PPP on November 5 as candidate to stand in the coming presidential election and on (November 12) indicates his openness to deployment of “more US THAAD missile deployments in South Korea”

Yoon Suk Yeol Presidency

2022 (March 9) wins election to ROK’s presidency, and in his inaugural speech, he continues a US inspired practice attack (making “strong statements,” taking “hard-line” positions) against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). [It should be noted that the US-led war on the Korean Peninsula was never concluded in a peace treaty so that technically the East and West in this region of the world is still at war. This means that President Yoon has taken a stand against his countrymen, his culture, his neighbors.]

2022-2024

• Yoon vetoes “a special prosecutorial bill on investigating allegations of corruption related to himself and his wife Kim Keon-hee”

• Reported in an April 19, 2023, Reuters interview “hinting” at his openness to “supplying lethal aid to Ukraine” (in contrast with ROK precedent of providing only “humanitarian and economic aid to Ukraine”)

• 2023 (April 25) arrives with entourage in Washington, DC and speaks before US Congress declaring to the assembled that … “… no matter where you sit, you stand with Korea… (in an ROK-USA relationship) that is “stronger than ever.” 

• Three months later (following orders?), he attends the NATO summit followed by visits to Ukraine and announces that his country “would provide $394 million in financial aid to Ukraine for 2024, an eightfold increase from 2023”; four months later, his government suspends ROK’s participation “in the Comprehensive Agreement Pact… aimed at lowering tensions” between the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

• 2024 (December 3) former ROK prosecutor turned President Yoon Suk Yeol takes up a mantra, accusing his country and countrymen of being “communist” then declaring “martial law” against his country and countrymen.

The Korean Times Captures the Yoon vs. the People Moment

December 3, 2024

Republic of Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol in a televised speech declares “emergency martial law … aimed at ‘eradicating pro-North Korean forces’ and ‘protecting constitutional order of freedom.’”

“BREAKING South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declares emergency martial law, accusing opposition of ‘anti-state activities’” https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/12/356_387615.html

Following Orders

More than 200 armed troops entered the buildings of the National Assembly.

ROK Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park An-su (“martial law commander” designate) — “soon after” President Yoon Suk Yeol’s late-night announcement — “issued measures” under the martial law decree, which included

Bans on “all political activities” 

Restrictions on freedom of the press

December 4, 2024

“According to Article 77 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, martial law can only be declared under circumstances of war, armed conflict or a national emergency equivalent thereto, necessitating military action or the preservation of public safety and order.

“However, President Yoon Suk Yeol failed to provide a proper justification for invoking martial law and violated procedural legitimacy.”

Korean Bar Association and Law Professor Respond 

“President Yoon’s declaration of martial law was the violation of the Constitution, jeopardizing the country’s democracy and constitutional order.” (KBA press release)

“Martial law cannot be declared at current state.” “Those who disable the National Assembly from functioning could be considered accomplices to treason.” (Seoul National University Law School Professor Han In-seop)


Members of the Faculty of Seoul National University Respond

“The National Assembly and government should respect the will of the people while following the country’s constitutional procedure to settle the current political crisis.” 

“We strongly reject any measures to jeopardize the management of our academic affairs.” The Korean Times December 4, 2024, Politics “Foreign, domestic academics criticize Yoon’s declaration of martial law” by Jhoo Dong-chan “Academics both in Korea and overseas are criticizing President Yoon Suk Yeol who triggered the country’s largest political crisis in decades Tuesday night when he declared martial law.” https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/12/356_387708.html?utm_source=taboola

Vox populi (Voice of the People) 

“A coalition of nine organizations, united under the banner of the ‘Committee for the Expulsion of Yoon Suk Yeol,’ issued a statement following the repeal resolution, declaring, ‘He is no longer the president of South Korea. We urge the military and police not to obey the unjust orders of dictator Yoon Suk Yeol.’” Korea Times “Citizens outraged by martial law, support repeal motion, demand Yoon’s impeachment” https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/12/356_387638.html?utm_source=taboola

“Can you believe the reality in which the president mobilizes troops … to point guns at the very people they serve?”

“The president is a servant of the people.” (Rep. Lee Jae-myung)

“It has been confirmed that Yoon is in such an abnormal state of mind that he should not be allowed to perform the duties of his office for even a single minute or second. His judgment and awareness of the situation are far from normal” (DPK floor leader Park Chan-dae)

“The declaration of martial law violates both the procedural and substantive aspects of the Constitution and the law, providing full grounds for impeachment.

“Yoon is the leader of a rebellion, as defined by our Constitution.” And “As the leader of a rebellion, Yoon must immediately step down from the presidency.”

Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) “will punish the unconstitutional and illegal emergency martial law of the Yoon administration”

“We urge law enforcement agencies to immediately launch an investigation into the treason case that the entire nation is now aware of and bring the perpetrators to justice.” (DPK chief spokesperson Jo Seoung-lae) Korean Times Law & Crime “Defense minister faces treason charges for proposing declaration of martial law” December 4, 2024 by Jung Min-ho “Kim Yong-hyun could be put in jail for life after pushing for ‘unconstitutional’ military rule President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law immediately incited political chaos.” https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/12/251_387712.html

“‘All power in the Republic of Korea comes from the people!’”

ROK “citizens” “united in anger” over the declaration of martial law “… gathered at the heart of the city” carrying their own declaration “‘President Yoon must step down.’”

“Participants marched around the Assembly complex, from the main building to the lawmakers’ offices and the main gate, chanting … ‘Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol’ and ‘Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol.’”

The student council of the National University of Seoul declared that the martial law decree “‘trampled on the democratic ideals of the April 19 Revolution,’ referring to the mass protests on the presidential residence in Korea that led to the 1960 resignation (and escape) of President Syngman Rhee in 1960.” Korea Times “‘Yoon must step down’: Candlelight protests return to Gwanghwamun, Yeouido” KT Staff, December 4, 2024, https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/12/356_387739.html

NOTE: Syngman Rhee was USA Ivey League (George Washington, Harvard, Princeton universities’ baccalaureate through doctorate) and an American Methodist Christian convert who assumed the Korean presidency in 1948 and, under domestic protests in 1960, absconded under darkness on a United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) plane piloted a US Air Force officer; and ended up in exile in the heavily US military-occupied, newly inked (August 21, 1959) 50th US State of Hawaii (city of Honolulu)

Wednesday morning Resignations 

“All senior presidential aides, including Chief of Staff Chung Jin-suk, Policy Chief Sung Tae-yoon, National Security Advisor Shin Won-shik, and senior secretaries” reportedly “submitted their resignations to Yoon,” though the resignations were unlikely to be accepted.

However, “the fallout from the martial law declaration has completely undermined Yoon’s political momentum, making it unlikely that (in the short term) the presidential office will make any further personnel changes.” “President faces impeachment after bungled martial law declaration December 4-5, 2024, https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/12/356_387713.html

Multinational News Reporting 

Press TV News reporting Wednesday December 4, 2024

Thousands of South Korean protestors call for president to resign over martial law order

“Thousands of protesters have staged a rally in the South Korean capital, Seoul, to demand the resignation of President Yoon Suk Yeol, following his decision to declare nationwide martial law in the country. … More than 280 troops, backed by 24 helicopters, arrived at parliament to lock down the site after the announcement. However, the MPs defied the soldiers to force their way into parliament and unanimously voted against the order.”

The ROK President in a later statement “said he would reverse his decision and confirmed that the troops sent to carry out the order would be withdrawn.” https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/12/04/738457/South-Korea-protest-demand-resignation-President-Yoon-Suk-Yeo-martial-law-decision-MPs-impeachment-motion

RT News Reporting December 4, 2024

South Korean Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, in a message shared with the media, “said he felt ‘responsible for all the turmoil caused by the emergency martial law.’” He “apologized” and offered his resignation.

Several hours after the Defense Minister’s statement and after the parliament voted unanimously against the decision, the president announced the lifting of the “state of emergency.” RT “South Korean defense minister resigns: Kim Yong-hyun has apologized for causing ‘confusion and concern’ by advising President Yoon Suk Yeol to declare martial law” https://www.rt.com/news/608701-south-korea-minister-resigns/

Exceptionalism USA Cradled Obliviously Between Two Oceans

Sadly, within the United States of America (my country, among my fellow Americans), there will be no hard news reporting of the happenings and historical context of happenings on the Peninsula because the American press, the podsters and silo dwellers, sundry loose talkers are variously

Censored

Self-censuring

Deliberately sanctimoniously arrogantly ignorant

###

PROLIFIC SOUTHERN-BORN AMERICAN WRITER DR. CAROLYN LADELLE BENNETT focuses on People, Press, Politics USA; Domestic and Foreign Affairs (no copyright claimed in direct quotes and individual image)

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Impeachable Washington

“Legal” Corruption Entrenched Taken to Nth Degree

Reaction to Current Pageantry   

I have listened to a few hours of the current U.S. House of Representatives Impeachment Inquiry and what comes through to me in bold, glaring, unbearable relief is this.

A

merica’s substantive underpinnings are gone, nonexistent, dead on arrival. There is a sense of nothingness, valuelessness, shamelessness among persons; their corrupting malignancy affecting all that is within and that surrounds the structure of federal public government and governance. Even worse, the general population seems oblivious, unaware.

Overall the embeds on display in one or another public hearing and scores of others hidden in the shadows are sinister, inept and self-serving, shallow and careless of domestic and foreign affairs; all of them — from members of sundry Governmental (not only legislative) Committees and their entrenched membership, partners and nepotistic plants, and revolving-door riders in and out of government; to Executive Office hirings, firings, and partners and family members and other individuals riding the revolving-door of profiteering and influence peddling. Collectively, this crowd, its monopoly in government, conveys to America and the World

An absence of dependability

No core

No foundation

No integrity

No credibility

No demonstrated character of rigor, due diligence, or seriousness

Only pageantry, pretense, partisan blather

These days of display announce to the whole world that Federal Washington, Inside-The Beltway, the heart of America, the model to the world together with malleable media organizations are

Way off the rails

Arrogantly reckless

Utterly self-destructive and destructive on so many levels, to so many people—

Against the United States and its people

Against U.S. stature in the world;

In policies and practices, callously and continuously destructive of the world, its peoples, its institutions, and relations among peoples, regions and nations

I

 have believed for a long time that Americans (“We the People”) are being held hostage by vastly complex, reinforcing systems, and very clever people — 

Corrupt systems populated by corrupt and corruptible people who are genetically incapable (intentionally or unintentionally) of helping any other person or nation rid itself of corruption.

This system executes and enables unending conflict, war making; and sells arms to all takers.  

I believe the only way to fix America’s important systems is to alter the ethos and shovel out all current inmates and their buddies. The only way to mend the brokenness is to begin again.

S

tart over with principled people who, prior to assuming positions,

• Have demonstrated pertinent qualifications, sound moral character and professional ethics

• Are willing to conceive, shore up, adhere to fundamental principles (not merely personal ideology, propaganda, partisanship); and

• Truthfully commit their tenure to providing for the common defense (not foreign wars and aggression) and promoting the general welfare (this is U.S. Constitutional not “socialist” doctrine);

• Truthfully commit to or be removed for failing to assist in mending the Union of the United States of America.

“We the People” must change from a passive to an active and attentive body politic.  Here are some of the important issues Americans missed while Washington operatives were performing their usual blame dance of unending distraction.

Beyond Beltway News Reporting

 

P

ress TV Reporting November 19-20, 2019

• “Trump’s pardon absolved Gallagher from any alleged wrongdoing.”

“It’s not the first time that Trump has pardoned an alleged war criminal. In May Trump pardoned First Lieutenant Michael Behenna, a former Army lieutenant who previously served five years in prison for fatally shooting an Iraqi man in American custody.” November 20, 2019 https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/11/20/611642/UN-Donald-Trump-pardon-army-officers-war-crimes

• “UN troubled by Trump pardons of officers accused of war crimes” Last Update: Wednesday, November 20, 2019 https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/11/19/611594/US-President-Donald-Trump-UN-Human-Rights-Pardon

• “US war on terror cost nearly $6 trillion” 

“… The so-called US war on terror has cost over 800,000 direct war deaths in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Middle East. …

The worst humanitarian disaster happened in Iraq where nearly 310,000 were killed; among them were over 200,000 civilians. … [M]ore than 147,000 were killed alone in Afghanistan. Nearly 59,000 of them were members of Afghan army and police (source latest findings by Watson Institute of International Public Affairs at the United State’s Brown University). The retaliatory violence gradually spelled over to Pakistan, whereas, per Brown University findings, 66,000 have been killed since then. Among them were over 9,000 security personnel. … Brown University found that, for every American soldier killed; six Afghan, Pakistani and Iraqi security personnel died while fighting against the militants. …

[T]he US government is conducting so-called ‘counter-terror’ activities in 80 countries.  Indirect deaths are generally estimated to be four times higher (than the Brown findings) which means that total deaths during the post-2001 US wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, and Yemen are likely to go well beyond 3.1 million.” Last Update: Wednesday, November 20, 2019 https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/11/20/611698/US-war-terror-Afghanistan-Pakistan-Middle-East

• “Two US service members killed in Afghanistan military helicopter crash … More than 14,000 active US troops are reportedly based in Afghanistan. More than 2,200 US troops have been killed in the country since the invasion in 2001. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his frustration with their continued deployment.

US forces have remained bogged down there through the presidencies of GEORGE W. BUSH, BARACK OBAMA, and now TRUMP (caps added). The US has, in the past, tried to negotiate a peace deal with the Taliban militant group over the withdrawal of the American troops from Afghanistan. In the past year, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad held nine rounds of negotiations with the Taliban in Qatar, where the militant group has a political office. A solution seemed to be close in early September, but a new wave of violence and the death of a US soldier prompted Trump to call off the talks.

Trump then threatened to use an unprecedented amount of force against the group.” Last Update: Wednesday, November 20, 2019 https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/11/20/611661/US-Soldiers-Afghanistan-Death-Helicopter-Crash

• “Pompeo plans to run for Senate after resignation: Report… The report said Pompeo’s initial plan had been to stay in office at the State Department until early spring next year.… US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has planned to resign from the Trump Administration as soon as possible and run in next year’s elections.

“[H]owever, that recent political developments, including President Donald Trump’s ongoing impeachment inquiry over the Ukraine scandal, were hurting Pompeo and that he wanted to exit sooner.” Update: Wednesday, November 20, 2019 https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/11/20/611649/US-Pompeo-Resignation

R

T reporting October 4, 2019 - November 19-20, 2019

• “The Ukraine affair is damning, all right – just not in the way you’re being told to think” …

“At the heart of the latest media firestorm are the text messages between US diplomats and Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani. House Democrats seeking to impeach Trump have already sent a subpoena to the White House seeking more documents, and their allies in the media have proclaimed the texts to be ‘damning.’…

“Way back in April 2016, President Barack Obama argued that the US stood for the ‘principle… that nations like Ukraine have the right to choose their own destiny.’ Left unsaid was that such choices would only be honored if they aligned with US beliefs and objectives – and subject to ‘color revolution’ and regime change if not, which is just what happened in February 2014 in Kiev.

The fact that neither Democrats or Republicans are raising that issue with Volker’s testimony and the texts just goes to show that neither have a problem with the US acting like an empire, and Ukraine being its vassal. That is what is truly damning about all of this, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” October 4, 2019 https://www.rt.com/usa/470232-ukraine-texts-volker-impeachment/

• “Impeachment hearing raises question (of) who is in charge of US foreign policy: Trump or ‘interagency consensus’…“Ukraine is neither a treaty ally of the US nor a sacred cow. It did receive every penny of the aid designated by Congress, before the statutory deadline. All the Ukrainian officials from Zelensky on down have sworn they were never pressured into anything by Trump or his aides.

“Instead, what has emerged is a 2018 letter from Democrats demanding Ukraine aid the Mueller investigation, and an account of Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut), one of the main supporters of the 2014 Maidan coup, telling Zelensky he should not ‘respond to requests from American political actors’ lest he lose Democratic support in Congress — So much for the talk about anti-corruption efforts, or the US respecting their sovereignty – a joke if ever there was one.” By Nebojsa Malic, senior writer at RT November 19, 2019 https://www.rt.com/op-ed/473833-impeachment-vindman-foreign-policy/

• “Impeachment hearing gets more bizarre with Sondland confirming ‘Zelensky loves Trump’s ass’, but vague on quid pro quo”

“One thing he did remember… Telling the president that ‘Zelensky loves [his] ass…It sounds like something I would say!’ To chortles from the audience, Sondland continued: ‘That’s how President Trump and I communicate…: A lot of four-letter words. Three letter.’

‘Putting it in Trump-speak by saying he loves your ass he’ll do whatever you want, meant that he would really work with us on a whole host of issues,’ Sondland explained, acknowledging that Zelensky was ‘eager’ to work with the US.” November 20, 2019 https://www.rt.com/usa/473912-sondland-impeachment-questions-zelensky/ 

“List of short-tenure Donald Trump political appointments” List excludes political appointees, White House staff and other officials of the federal government from previous administrations who left or were dismissed from their positions under Trump (such as James Comey or Sally Yates). [Wikipedia page last edited October 1, 2019] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_short-tenure_Donald_Trump_political_appointments

“List of Trump administration dismissals and resignations … The record-setting turnover rate in the (Donald J.) Trump Administration has been noted in various publications.”

A reporter questioned the 45th U.S. president on September 18, 2019 “about the lack of stability in his administration, particularly in DHS; and the president replied “‘We have acting people. The reason they are acting is because I’m seeing how I like them and I’m liking a lot of them very, very much. There are people who have done a bad job and I let them go — if you call that turmoil. I don’t call that turmoil. I say that is being smart. That’s what we do.’” [Wikipedia  page last edited on November 19, 2019] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Trump_administration_dismissals_and_resignations

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