Korean bishops call for peace, unity following President Yoon’s impeachment

The leaders of the Catholic Church in South Korea have urged the public to remain calm and embrace unity after President Yoon Suk Yeol’s complete removal from power.

The country’s 20th president was outed through a unanimous ruling of an impeachment trial on April 4, a total of 111 days since his indictment on December 14.

In a statement, Korean bishops have encouraged state authorities to make every effort to “regain the people’s trust and establish harmony.”

“In particular, we urge politicians not to forget that they exist to serve the people and to promote a policy of mutual respect and listening, oriented towards coexistence,” they wrote.

President Yoon was impeached after he ordered the imposition of martial law on December 3 last year, which he justified as a necessary measure “to eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the democratic constitutional order."

The martial law was only in effect for six hours after the South Korean National Assembly voted to block the martial law declaration.

In a letter to the people, the Korean bishops lamented the martial law crisis, which they described as another “unfortunate page of history that no one ever wanted to see.”

In 2017, South Korea’s first female president, Park Geun-Hye, was also impeached and charged with bribery, abusing state power, and leaking state secrets.

On June 3, 60 days after President Yoon’s removal, a snap election will be held to vote for his replacement.

In line with this, the Korean bishops invited the people to elect “a responsible and moral leader with a view to social reconciliation and the common good must be conducted democratically and maturely.”

Before the verdict of the impeachment trial, the bishops have been releasing a series of statements to guide the people towards peace and calm, as tensions and protests have mired these current events.

Seoul Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick said that violence, hate speech, and extreme behavior can never be justified for any reason.”

“What we need now is love.  To pass on a more peaceful and just society to future generations, let us all work together to demonstrate the virtues of moderation and patience,” he said.

In one of the final appeals to the Constitutional Court, Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik asked them to “make a judgment of conscience.”

He prayed that they would “listen with a heart of despair for the Republic of Korea in crisis" and become the "voice of justice and conscience that dwells deep within us.”