Among the regional players, China stands to benefit the most from South Korea’s turmoil. Under President Yoon, South Korea took a decisive turn toward the US, forging closer trilateral ties with Tokyo and Washington. This alignment, which included supporting NATO’s stance on Ukraine, aligning with Indo-Pacific strategies to contain China, expanding US nuclear deterrence on the Korean peninsula, shifting the special inter-Korea relations in pursuit of national reunification to hostile inter-state relations, deeply strained Seoul-Beijing relations. Yoon’s potential impeachment or resignation, however, may pave the way for a recalibration of South Korea’s foreign policy — a shift Beijing would welcome.
South Korea’s emergency martial law turmoil and geopolitical ripples across East Asia
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