Two weeks in, South Korea’s latest leader Choi walks political tightrope By Reuters

By Cynthia Kim

SEOUL (Reuters) – Two weeks after becoming South Korea’s second-in-command, Choi Sang-mok is not only tasked with managing a battered economy and rebuilding trust among global allies, but is simply sticking to his job amid the worst political crisis in decades.

Choi, who was given his first ministerial appointment just two years ago, is stuck in a political cauldron that has already consumed one of the country’s most experienced leaders, but he has so far weathered the crisis better, analysts say.

“Choi is a tightrope walker, basically in a balancing act between the two sides,” Kim Jin-wook said. Citigroup (NYSE:) economist, referring to the main opposition Democratic Party and the ruling People’s Power Party.

Choi has drawn ire among the public and the opposition at large for obstructing efforts to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol, who orchestrated the Dec. 3 rebellion, in a separate criminal investigation into allegations he staged a rebellion through his martial law. application

However, Choi, 61, a veteran economic technocrat, has already surpassed his predecessor, Han Dak-su, as prime minister.

Hani, who first took office from Yunnan, was impeached by parliament after 13 days as acting president for failing to uphold justices in the Constitutional Court.

Kim has played down the prospect of impeaching Cho because the opposition is less favorable to other cabinet members.

However, the Democratic Party, which has the numbers in parliament to impeach Cho if it wishes, filed a criminal complaint with police on Tuesday against him for failing to order presidential guards to clear the way for authorities in a failed first attempt to arrest Yun a week ago. .

A six-hour standoff with armed presidential guards last Friday sparked fears South Korea’s political crisis could turn bloody.

Choi must ensure the court proceedings proceed peacefully to prevent confidence in Asia’s fourth-largest economy, which has seen the won currency weaken to its weakest level in 15 years, and the government cut its 2025 economic growth forecast from 2.2 to 1. 8%.

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It was an almost unimaginable change of status for Choi, who became finance minister two years ago and is now not only trying to stabilize the economy, but also acting president and acting prime minister.

And assuming she can avoid Han and Yoon’s fate, she could be in the cast for up to six months.

The Constitutional Court must decide within 180 days whether to permanently remove Yon from office or reject the impeachment. If Yuni is removed or he resigns, presidential elections must be held within 60 days.

In one of his first moves, Choi appointed constitutional court judges to fill two of the three vacancies on Dec. 31. It was unclear at the time whether the court could rule on Yun’s future without the nine judges on the bench.

Unfortunately, the decision ultimately did not fully bridge the political divide, with the opposition wanting three new appointments and the ruling Union Party wanting none.

But colleagues who have worked with Choi say it shows he is more skilled than Han, who has not given rise to opposition.

“His decision to appoint judges helped him avoid Han’s fate at a time when compromise is required,” said a senior government official, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. The official also noted how Choi was more acceptable. to the opposition, as he was one of the few members of the government who openly opposed Yun’s martial law plan.

A Gallup Korea poll released Friday showed 31% of 1,004 respondents thought Choi was doing a good job, while 56% disapproved of his performance.

On the diplomatic front, Cho has also been cast in the role of trying to reassure allies like the US.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken praised Seoul’s response to the political crisis and reaffirmed Washington’s ties with Seoul during a visit to Seoul on January 6.

UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed “full confidence” in South Korea’s democratic institutions in a phone call with Cho on Friday, the finance ministry said.

However, some see Choi as having trouble with the new administration of US President-elect Donald Trump.

“I don’t see him doing well with the new Trump administration. Trump won’t do that when the interim leader has seen two impeachments in Korea,” said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Seoul’s Myeonggi University.

South Korean officials worry that Trump could usher in an unpredictable era when he takes office on Jan. 20, which could include strong-arming Seoul into paying more for its defense and imposing high tariffs on countries that have trade interests. excesses.

When asked about the relationship with the Trump administration, Choi’s spokesperson said in a text message: “The government will work closely with relevant ministries, including the Department of Foreign Affairs, to engage with allies, including the US.”