"The President of Korea Has the Worst Grudge in the World" ... Impeachment Verdict Draws Attention in China [Yoon Seok-yeol Dismissal]

Even President Yoon's Dismissal Covered as Breaking News
Chinese Netizens Show Intense Interest

As the dismissal ruling against President Yoon Suk-yeol was issued, Chinese media also released breaking news articles about President Yoon's dismissal. On Baidu, China's largest portal, it ranked first in real-time search news. China's state-run China Central Television (CCTV) broadcast a breaking news report on the morning of the 4th titled "President Yoon Suk-yeol Dismissed from Office." CCTV reported that the Constitutional Court unanimously ruled at 11:22 a.m. that President Yoon had seriously violated the constitution and laws, and sentenced him to dismissal. It also noted that Yoon became the second president to be impeached after former President Park Geun-hye.

On the portal Baidu, immediately after the impeachment case verdict, the real-time news number one was "President Yoon Seok-yeol dismissed from office." Baidu

The state-run Xinhua News Agency also continuously reported the Constitutional Court's dismissal ruling against President Yoon as breaking news on the same day, pointing out that South Korea must hold a presidential election within 60 days. The state-run Xin Jing Bao explained the dismissal news by saying, "Yoon Suk-yeol must leave the presidential residence in Hannam-dong," and "According to the Former Presidents Act, if a president is dismissed by impeachment, they lose the pension, office, vehicle, and secretary benefits they would receive upon completing their term, and only minimal security protection is guaranteed."

It continued, "South Korea must hold a presidential election within 60 days," and "According to opinion polls, the South Korean people hope for a regime change, and Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition party, the Democratic Party, is currently the most popular presidential candidate." It also mentioned that Kim Moon-soo, Minister of Employment and Labor, Han Dong-hoon, former leader of the People Power Party, and Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu, show low approval ratings. Additionally, it reported that President Yoon will face his first trial on charges of treason at the Seoul Central District Court on the 14th.

Moon Hyung-bae, Acting Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, is reading the decision to accept the impeachment trial of President Yoon Seok-yeol on the morning of the 4th at the Grand Bench of the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

Chinese netizens also showed a heated response. Comments on related articles included, "Do not underestimate the power of democracy," "Truly a victory for democracy," "No South Korean president has ended well," and "The most unforgiving job in the world is the presidency of South Korea." Right after the impeachment ruling, "President Yoon Suk-yeol Dismissed from Office" ranked first in real-time news on the Baidu portal.

Additionally, on Weibo's real-time search terms, phrases such as "Yoon Suk-yeol Dismissed," "Yoon Suk-yeol Impeachment Ruling," "Second President Dismissed in South Korea," and "South Korea Must Hold Election Within 60 Days" appeared frequently, showing the strong interest of Chinese people in South Korea's political situation. One netizen commented, "'The story of the modern-day Fenghuo Xizhu Hou (烽火戱諸侯)' has finally ended. I want to see it as a theatrical version next year." 'Fenghuo Xizhu Hou' refers to an ancient story where King You of the Zhou dynasty foolishly mocked the feudal lords with false beacon fires to amuse his favored concubine, Bao Si. This satirizes King You of Zhou, who lost the trust of the feudal lords due to false beacons, by comparing him to President Yoon.