US officials meet South Korean pastor who led anti-impeachment rallies for Yoon
Seoul, June 8
Senior US State Department officials recently met with a South Korean pastor who had led rallies opposing the impeachment of now-jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed marital law bid, according to a church on Monday.
According to Segero Church, Riley Barnes, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labour (DRL), and Julie Turner, acting deputy assistant secretary of state for DRL, along with White House faith liaison Belsis Romero, visited the church in Busan, some 330 kilometres southeast of Seoul, on Sunday for a meeting with Senior Pastor Son Hyun-bo.
The church said the visit was arranged after the US side reached out about a month ago, and added that the two sides discussed a broad range of issues in South Korea, reports Yonhap news agency.
According to the church, discussions covered a wide range of issues, including a proposed law on dissolving religious corporations and discussions on a comprehensive anti-discrimination law, among others.
Son also leads Save Korea, a conservative Christian civic group that spearheaded rallies opposing Yoon's impeachment following his failed martial law bid in December of 2024.
The pastor was indicted on charges of conducting illegal election campaigning during last year's presidential election and was sentenced earlier this year to six months in prison, suspended for one year.
Meanwhile, a court is set to deliver its verdict this week on former President Yoon Suk Yeol's charges of ordering drone incursions into Pyongyang during his tenure as a pretext to declare martial law, officials said on Sunday.
The Seoul Central District Court will hold the hearing for Yoon on Friday on charges that include benefiting the enemy and abuse of authority, according to judicial officials.
Yoon is accused of ordering the South Korean military to fly drones over Pyongyang in October 2024 as a pretext to declare martial law on December 3, the same year.
A special counsel team led by Cho Eun-suk earlier demanded a 30-year prison term for Yoon, reports Yonhap news agency.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting how the US is engaging with religious leaders in South Korea. The pastor being indicted for illegal election campaigning raises serious questions. Maybe the US should focus on democracy promotion in their own country first?
As an Indian watching South Korea's political drama, it's concerning to see foreign officials meeting with someone convicted of election law violations. Yoon's martial law bid and drone incursion allegations are alarming. Democracy must be protected, but through proper legal channels, not external interference.
The US meeting with a pastor who organized anti-impeachment rallies shows double standards. They claim to support democracy but engage with those who oppose democratic processes like impeachment. India should be careful about such foreign influence in our religious and political spaces.
This is complicated. On one hand, the US has right to meet any group. But meeting a pastor with criminal conviction for election campaigning seems problematic. The drone incursion allegations against Yoon are shocking. South Korea's democracy seems fragile. 😕
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.