South Korea’s Constitutional Court is approaching the final phase of proceedings before it decides in March whether to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his brief martial law bid in December.
Since its first official hearing on Jan. 14, exactly a month after the National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon, the court has held nine hearings; the last is scheduled for Thursday.
China has become a central issue at some of the hearings, with analysts saying that South Korea-U.S. counterintelligence coordination is crucial in deterring Beijing influence operations that threaten both countries.
Yoon’s attorney, Cha Gi-hwan, raised concerns about what he alleged was China’s interference in South Korean politics, elections and media at several proceedings, apparently in defense of Yoon’s statement made in December.
Yoon had said “anti-state forces” were operating in South Korea while explaining his decision to impose martial law at the time and highlighted Chinese nationals using a drone to film a U.S. aircraft carrier docked at the port city of Busan.
He had said the opposition parties blocked a revision to anti-espionage law, preventing the prosecution of foreign nationals spying on South Korea.
The ruling People Power Party (PPP) pushed for an amendment to the law to broaden its scope from targeting “enemy states” to include “foreign countries,” citing threats posed by Chinese espionage. The opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) blocked the revision for fear of potential misuse of the law.
Cha said at a hearing on Feb. 11 that China has been interfering in South Korean politics by having its companies and people residing in South Korea fund and support pro-China politicians, manipulate public opinion and spread fake news unfavorable to those who oppose pro-China politicians running for election.
Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Dai Bing on Feb. 10 denied widespread accusations among Yoon’s supporters that Beijing interfered in South Korean politics and elections. He wrote on X that Beijing “has all along upheld the principle of noninterference in other countries’ internal affairs.”
Growing threat
In testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last month, Dartmouth University professor Jennifer Lind said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) conducts malign influence operations that aim “to bolster authoritarianism, discredit democratic governance and reshape global norms in China’s interests.”
The Senate hearing was about “The Malign Influence of the People’s Republic of China” in the U.S. and abroad.
Analysts in Washington said if Yoon is removed from the office, China will conduct full-fledged malign operations in the country.
“I would expect Beijing to increase its efforts, as it sees South Korea’s political upheaval as ripe for Chinese malicious intervention,” said Dennis Wilder, a senior fellow at the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues at Georgetown University.
“China’s goal will be to weaken the democracy and to support those in favor of better ties with Beijing at the expense of the U.S. alliance,” said Wilder, who served as the CIA’s deputy assistant director for East Asia and the Pacific from 2015 to 2016.
“The key to defeating China’s ambition is intense and sustained counterintelligence programs. The United States has a great deal to teach South Korea in this area, and the CIA and the FBI should work with the South Koreans to improve their ability to spot and deter Chinese covert operations,” Wilder added.
“Everything on the Korean Peninsula affects U.S. security,” said David Maxwell, vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy. “President Yoon is right to call attention to what China is doing. Ideally, it would be wonderful to have a coordinated [U.S.] response with South Korea.”
US-South Korea coordination
If the court decides to remove Yoon from office, main opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung is considered a candidate for an election to be held within 60 days.
Bruce Klingner, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said, “Statements by party chief Lee Jae-myung indicate the party will pursue a more conciliatory policy toward China and North Korea, more antagonistic toward Japan, and place less emphasis on strengthening the alliance with the United States.”
Klingner, formerly the CIA’s deputy division chief, told VOA on Thursday, “The Trump administration will look for South Korea and other Indo-Pacific democracies to pursue stronger policies against the multifaceted China threat, including supporting roles in Taiwan contingencies. The [main] Democratic Party of Korea would resist such entreaties, which will cause strains with Washington.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said at a news conference after meeting with NATO defense ministers in Belgium on Thursday that working with Pacific allies South Korea, Japan and Australia will be “critical” in dealing with the Chinese threat.
Korean Service’s Kim Hyungjin contributed to this report.
