Long-time Asian powerhouse, South Korea is renowned for its journey from war-torn devastation to establishing itself as one of the world’s most dynamic economies

As such, its current political crisis is deeply troubling. The ongoing impeachment proceedings against the disgraced former president Yoon Suk Yeol, regardless of one’s political leanings, are not merely a domestic affair. They represent a moment of immense vulnerability for South Korea, with far-reaching implications that extend well beyond its borders.

At a time when the global geopolitical landscape is already tense, marked by an increasingly assertive China, a nuclear-armed North Korea, and unstable energy markets, South Korea’s internal political turmoil could not have come at a worse moment. The nation is a pivotal factor in Northeast Asia, strategically located, economically influential, and diplomatically vital.

Yet today, it risks squandering the very assets that have elevated it to global prominence.

The Yoon impeachment proceedings have plunged Korea’s political system into paralysis. Parliament is gridlocked. Policy decisions have slowed to a crawl.

Key international negotiations have been postponed or watered down in recent months and in the absence of decisive leadership and uncertainty reigns. The markets have responded with wariness, foreign investors are growing jittery, and the nation’s allies are quietly expressing concern about the future direction of South Korean governance. The currency – as a result – has plummeted.

This situation is not just unfortunate; it is dangerous – especially with China as a neighbour and Kim Jong-un to the north.

For decades, South Korea has served as a linchpin of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. We are a major non-NATO ally of the United States, a cornerstone of the global semiconductor supply chain, and a democratic model in a region where authoritarianism is once again on the rise.

As such, when South Korea stumbles, the entire region feels the tremors.

Tensions in the Taiwan Strait to the south are rising, with Beijing aggressively escalating military drills and rhetoric against Taipei. Japan is rearming at a pace not seen since the end of World War II and North Korea continues to test missiles and issue bellicose threats, including those aimed at Seoul and Tokyo.

In such a volatile environment, the last thing East Asia needs is a distracted or weakened South Korean leadership. But that is precisely what we have at present in Seoul: a government consumed by legal wrangling, partisan infighting, and uncertainty over succession.

The Korean president is not fully able to execute his duties and with an election just over a week away, foreign diplomats and international observers are asking a very simple question: who is really in charge in Seoul?

It is a question increasingly asked on the home front too as inflation, youth unemployment, and the housing crisis all require immediate, focused attention.

So too does Korea’s energy transition, and the increasingly urgent task of preparing the economy for artificial intelligence and green technologies. These are not challenges that can afford to wait until Seoul’s political elite finish airing their grievances in the National Assembly or Constitutional Court.

If the president has truly violated the law, then due process must take its course. No leader is above the constitution.

But impeachment should always be a last resort, not a political weapon of convenience or retaliation as it so often is in Korea. In the current case, the evidence is complex and contested. The accusations—centred on abuse of power and influence peddling—deserve full scrutiny, but the nation must not be held hostage in the process.

There must be a path forward that preserves the rule of law while safeguarding national cohesion.

Korea’s allies are watching. At least two rivals – north and west - could well be behind at least some of the societal confusion that reigns.

If South Korea appears rudderless, it risks emboldening those who would seek to undermine the rules-based order in Asia.

Pyongyang may interpret the South’s internal strife as a window of opportunity. Beijing may use Seoul’s distraction to drive wedges between Korea and the US.

Even Tokyo, with whom South Korea has made cautious progress in rebuilding diplomatic ties, could retreat into its own shell of mistrust.

International investors are equally concerned. South Korea’s role in global supply chains, particularly in semiconductors, batteries, and electric vehicles, means that instability in South Korea sends ripples through boardrooms in New York, Frankfurt, and Singapore.

Political risk is now being factored into calculations about factory expansion, procurement contracts, and long-term partnerships.

This is a sobering moment.

South Korea is a proud democracy, and one of its greatest strengths is the vibrancy of its civil society. But democracy also demands maturity, especially in times of stress. For this reason if no other, Seoul cannot allow political spectacle to eclipse national purpose.

Political turbulence must not be allowed to derail a national project of progress, peace, and prosperity. The impeachment crisis is a test of the country’s constitution and its collective resolve.

And history will judge South Korea by the verdict – but also by the wisdom with which it navigated the storm it now finds itself in.

South Korea needs stability and in this corner of Asia, the region and wider world need it too.