Jeju Air plane crash prompts South Korean leaders to pause political fight

By Soo-Hyang Choi  After two leaders were impeached in as many weeks, a deadly plane crash has prompted South Korea’s feuding political camps to temporarily halt a protracted power struggle. 

In the immediate aftermath of the Jeju Air flight crash on Sunday, which killed all but two of the 181 people onboard, South Korea’s rival political parties appeared to put aside their recent animosity to respond to the disaster. 

 

Acting President Choi Sang-mok, just two days into his role, led the emergency response and declared a week-long mourning period until Jan. 4. The opposition Democratic Party, responsible for the impeachment campaigns against President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, canceled parliamentary sessions where they had grilled officials for weeks to visit the disaster site.

 

 

“The political wrangling will pause at least for the mourning period,” said Eom Kyeong-young, a former government official who’s now director of the Zeitgeist Institute, a research group in Seoul. “But the Democratic Party is unlikely to change tact in seeking a swift ouster of Yoon.” 

 

The tragedy has compounded the challenges facing South Korea, which is already going through one of its most turbulent periods in years after Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law earlier this month. The move shocked the world, rattled markets and plunged the nation into a constitutional crisis, leading to the impeachments of Yoon and Han, before Choi took over on Dec. 27.

 

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung said the priority now is handling the accident’s aftermath. “Our party will do whatever we can, with the aviation disaster response committee at the lead,” he said. He deleted an earlier Facebook post criticising Yoon, which had sparked backlash following the crash. The ruling People Power Party also held back from attacking the opposition.

 

While the political fighting has paused for now, the risks remain far from over. Investigators sought an arrest warrant for Yoon on Monday after he repeatedly ignored summons to appear for questioning. If granted, he would be the first sitting president in the country’s history to be arrested while still in office.

 

A trial is also ongoing to decide whether to reinstate or permanently remove Yoon from office. The court has until June to make a decision, and the next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 3.  

 

Meanwhile, the unprecedented concentration of responsibilities in Acting President Choi has raised concerns about the government’s ability to function effectively. Choi, who is also Finance Minister, is juggling multiple key roles — from managing economic policies to overseeing national governance and the emergency response. On top of that, he’s burdened by security concerns, as the defence minister and several military commanders have been arrested or suspended for their alleged involvement in the martial law plan.

 

This is particularly worrying given the many risks South Korea faces, including preparing for the incoming Trump administration and its protectionist policies, as well as dealing with nuclear threats from North Korea. 

 

The economy was already slowing on sluggish domestic demand and weakening exports before the martial law. Bloomberg Economics estimates growth will slow to 1.6 per cent next year from 2.1 per cent in 2024, compared to its previous forecast of 1.9 per cent and 2.2 per cent, respectively, made in November before the crisis.

 

The won has declined to its lowest level since 2009, with analysts attributing this to a stronger dollar and negative sentiment driven by political instability. 

 

For the past few days, the Democratic Party, which holds the majority in parliament, has threatened another impeachment over the appointment of Constitutional Court justices. Three of the nine seats on the court remain vacant, and filling them could bolster the chances of upholding Yoon’s impeachment. 

 

Lawmakers from the party have said they would consider impeaching Choi if he doesn’t accept the parliament’s nominees for the court.

 

Citigroup Inc. warned that uncertainties could escalate and persist for longer as the court process unfolds. It expects the court to uphold Yoon’s impeachment around mid-March, leading to a new presidential election in early to mid-May. 

 

Yoon, who has largely remained silent since his impeachment, expressed his condolences over the latest disaster.

 

“I am deeply saddened and devastated,” Yoon said in a Facebook post on Sunday. “I trust the government will do its best to handle the aftermath of the accident and support the victims.”