Amid strong calls from the Korean people to oust their President Yoon Suk-yeol, the imperialist US is directly interfering to keep him in power. Yoon is an obedient puppet of US imperialism, particularly in the push for imperialist wars against North Korea, China, and East Asia in general.

The first impeachment complaint against Yoon failed when a large bloc of his party members walked out and boycotted the parliamentary session on December 6. The complaint was filed after his attempt to impose martial law on December 3.

Among other grounds, the US is reportedly opposing the impeachment because it opposed Yoon’s entry into the trilateral or three-way alliance JAKUS, involving Japan and the US. The US stated that foreign relations should not be “entangled” with Yoon’s case, despite the Korean public’s call for their government to stop its war-mongering in the region. From the start, Yoon has pledged his “full fealty” to the US in the “New Cold War” and adopted a “hard line” stance against North Korea. Upon taking office in 2022, US President Joe Biden called him a “visionary leader”.

US control over South Korea’s economy, politics, and military has tightened under Yoon’s leadership. The US-directed war games, with the participation of Japan and other allies, became more frequent and expansive covering the country’s land, air, and sea. Yoon has allowed US nuclear submarines into the country’s territory, further increasing the possibility of a nuclear war outbreak in the region. He also brought the country into military alliances that angered the Korean public, particularly the JAKUS alliance. The Korean people remains highly indignant against imperialist Japan, which previously colonized Korea and committed severe crimes against its people.

Yoon’s party, which is staunchly opposing the impeachment, stated: “Maintaining the South Korea-US alliance and trilateral security cooperation with Japan and the US is a major and crucial responsibility.”

On December 6, more than a million people marched on the streets to demand Yoon’s resignation. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, representing more than a million workers, also called for an indefinite general strike and work stoppage. They vowed to continue protesting and filing complaints until Yoon is removed from power.