Event: Politics and Power Struggles: South Korea's Leadership Crisis 

Event Details   
Topic: Politics and Power Struggles: South Korea's Leadership Crisis 
Date: Thursday, 6 February 2025 
Time: 5:30pm – 7:00pm (in-person registration begins at 5:30pm; talk begins at 6:00pm) 
Dress Code: Business attire 
Venue: SIIA Offices - 60A Orchard Road #04-03 Tower 1 The Atrium @Orchard, International Involvement Hub, Singapore 238890
Registration Link: bit.ly/KoreaTalk2025 

Guest Speakers:  
- Ms. Ma Tieying, Senior Economist, CFA, DBS Group Research  
- Dr. Ryu Yongwook, Assistant Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS  

Moderator: Mr. Nicholas Fang, Director of Security and Global Affairs, SIIA 

Synopsis:  
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's shock attempt to declare martial law has plunged the country into a political crisis. Although Mr Yoon has been impeached, he is technically still president until the Constitutional Court decides to dismiss him or restore his powers - a process that could theoretically last until May this year. In the interim, the country's lawmakers have already impeached one acting leader - though current Acting President Choi Sang-mok has promised to maintain national security, a stable economy and public safety. This talk at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs will explore how South Korea has reached this point, what lies ahead, and what this means for South Korea's economy and foreign relations in 2025.  

• What will happen next? Are there any lessons that can be learnt from the last impeachment of a South Korean President, Park Geun-hye, in 2016? 
• How is the uncertainty affecting South Korea's economy? Is this just a short-term blip? 
• Is South Korea's foreign policy now frozen - just as the Trump administration enters office? What does this mean for the country's engagement with Singapore and Asia? 

To register, kindly fill in the registration form here: bit.ly/KoreaTalk2025.