Day: December 26, 2024

On Friday, December 27, the Constitutional Court of South Korea will hold a session to review the impeachment case of the suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol. The case stems from his declaration of martial law in early December, reports Reuters.

Yoon Suk Yeol’s legal representatives will attend the first session of the Constitutional Court on Friday, December 27, where the impeachment case related to his temporary declaration of martial law will be reviewed by parliament. Yoon’s adviser provided this information to the agency.

According to attorney Seok Dong-hyeon, two lawyers from Yoon’s team are expected to be present at the court hearing. One is a former prosecutor, while the other is a former spokesperson for the Constitutional Court.

The court has 180 days to decide whether to reinstate Yoon as president or remove him from office. In the latter case, new presidential elections will be held within 60 days. Yoon is not required to attend the hearings.

Until Thursday, Yoon had ignored the court’s requests for documents and summons from investigators in a separate criminal case regarding his declaration of martial law on December 3. This prompted criticism even from some members of his own party.

Martial law and political crisis

Yoon Suk Yeol’s unexpected declaration of martial law on December 3 and its rapid political repercussions shocked the country and financial markets. The United States and European countries expressed concern, as they had viewed Yoon as a reliable partner in global efforts to counter China, Russia, and North Korea.

The crisis deepened this week when the opposition Democratic Party promised to move forward with an impeachment motion against Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is currently acting as president. This came in response to his rejection of a call to immediately appoint three judges to the Constitutional Court to fill vacant positions.

The parliamentary session is scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, December 27. The Democratic Party announced that it would bring the impeachment motion against Han to a vote.

The party has clashed with Han, the prime minister appointed by Yoon, over judicial appointments and proposed bills calling for special prosecutors to investigate the president’s activities.

On Thursday, December 26, Han stated that appointing judges without bipartisan agreement exceeds his authority as interim president.

The parliamentary vote, which will determine Han’s fate, is set to take place around the same time the Constitutional Court holds its first hearing in the case that will decide whether Yoon will be reinstated as president or permanently removed from office.

Donald Trump, elected president of the United States, appointed Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera as ambassador to Panama. The decision came amid US intentions to restore control over the Panama Canal, which had been lost 25 years ago, reports Reuters.

Trump described Cabrera as a “fierce fighter for America First principles,” who, according to him, played a key role in driving economic growth and strengthening international partnerships.

“Few understand Latin American politics as well as Kevin – He will do a FANTASTIC job representing our Nation’s interests in Panama!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

History of the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a waterway connecting the Pacific Ocean’s Panama Gulf to the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is located on the Panama Isthmus within Panama.

The 1898 Spanish-American War reinforced the US desire to build a canal across the Panama Isthmus to enhance its influence in the Western Hemisphere.

On January 22, 1903, Colombian Ambassador Tomás Herrán and U.S. Secretary of State John Hay signed a treaty granting the U.S. a 100-year lease for a strip of land to construct the Panama Canal.

The US Department of Defense began construction of the canal in 1904. The project was carried out under the supervision of the American Defense Department, and Panama essentially became a US protectorate. The canal was completed after 10 years, costing $400 million and involving 70,000 workers.

The United States controlled the Panama Canal until December 31, 1999, after which it was handed over to Panama under its government’s control.

Trump’s statements on the Panama Canal

On December 22, 2024, Donald Trump announced plans to regain US control over the Panama Canal.

He stated that Panama, which has maintained diplomatic relations with the US since 1903, is robbing us at the Panama Canal in ways they could never imagine.

Trump accused Chinese soldiers of illegally exploiting the canal and pointed out that “the United States puts in Billions of Dollars in ‘repair’ money.”

Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino stated that China has no influence over the administration of the canal and emphasized that there are no Chinese soldiers at the canal.

China does not control or manage the canal. However, a subsidiary of Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison Holdings has long managed two ports located at the Caribbean and Pacific entrances to the canal.

Read more about what Trump said about Greenland and the Panama Canal in our analytical material.