Subtitle 'The Politics of Impeachment', A Study on Impeachment and Democracy
Successful Impeachment VS Failed Impeachment, Comparison and Analysis
"Impeachment Should Be Pursued in a Cautious and Restrained Manner"
Impeachment has become the 'new normal' era. Recently, it has become common not only among politicians but also among citizens to mention 'impeachment.' South Korea is a country that has attempted presidential impeachment twice. One attempt failed, and the other succeeded.
The cases of impeachment reveal two contradictions in South Korean democracy. One is the fact that democracy is immature enough to require the extreme measure of impeachment. The other is that democracy is mature enough to peacefully resolve the problems of the presidential system through the legal remedy of impeachment. What caused these two cases to lead to different outcomes?
Korean politics is once again plunging into the whirlpool of impeachment. The president's autocracy and low popularity, the special prosecutor battles surrounding the president's wife and the Corporal Chae incident, the emergence of the 'Myeong Taegyun Gate,' the opposition's overwhelming majority in the National Assembly, the prosecution's investigation and court trials of the opposition leader?South Korean democracy stands at the center of impeachment politics. Can impeachment truly serve as a means to protect democracy?
It is not only South Korea. Globally, impeachment has become an everyday political tool. Donald Trump, the former U.S. president, was impeached twice during his first four-year term. Latin America, where impeachments have frequently occurred, suffers from chronic political instability. Indeed, it is an era that can be called the age of impeachment democracy.
How Does Bad Power Collapse? (Medici) is a book that originated from the author's concerns after witnessing the impeachments of Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye in the political arena. It fully captures the author's reflections on 'why one attempt failed and the other succeeded' and 'the impact of impeachment on democracy.'
The author, former lawmaker Lee Cheol-hee, who has held significant political positions such as a member of the National Assembly and Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House, is also well known as a political commentator symbolized by the program Ssulzun. He suggests that readers look at impeachment more broadly and deeply beyond simple pros and cons and approach it with caution and balance.
This book reviews the impeachment system from historical and theoretical perspectives and examines impeachment cases abroad. It then vividly compares and analyzes South Korea's two impeachment cases while discussing the current impeachment political situation. The author explains that through this, readers can reflect on the path South Korean democracy has taken and contemplate the way forward. He also emphasizes that "impeachment should be pursued very cautiously and with restraint when all other methods have failed."
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