I don't think that yesterday has hurt South Korea's reputation. Lawmakers unanimously voting against martial law, national assembly staff blocking soldiers with fire extinguishers, people taking to the streets to protest while not giving a damn that this is illegal under martial law, the largest umbrella union organization calling a general strike - all this is very impressive.
They couldn't know whether the army would shoot protesters (as they did in 1980). They risked their lives to protect democracy. So when I see takes like "I thought South Korea was a stable democracy", I think: Which democracy is more trustworthy, one that seems stable from the outside or one where people will actually stand up for democracy?

#SouthKorea

@Mab_813 The people of South Korea are heroes! #SouthKorea

@Mab_813 you are missing some elements. The country government is so corrupt that Pharmakom from Johnny Mnemonic would pass for philantropists. President's wife does shamanism with state money. Social life is miserable. Political elites are in their ivory tower with their bikkionaire friends and totally disconnected from reality.

@Mab_813 Well, the fact that president tried to pull a stunt like this means he was hoping it would work. It is good it worked out, but it is not exactly sign of stability. Trump was able to get mob to attack capitol, but was not able to order army to do so. Still not great sign of stability, but less so :-).

@pavel

Maybe stability is overrated? South Korean military dictatorships were not the only governments supported by the USA in the name of "stability".

@Mab_813 @pavel
Pretty stable tho

https://kafeneio.social/@foufoutos/113595039040568338

@f4grx @Mab_813 is it conflict of parlament and president? If so, then even assuming parlament is of the same kind, it is better, than one person with same power.
I hope it will not go like https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Russian_constitutional_crisis

@uis @Mab_813 i heard calls are made to remove the president that made such a bad decision. It will just be replaced by an ambitious carrierist politician from a competing party, that will be as corrupt as the previous one and will only act for his own profit.

@Mab_813 People getting in the streets, at night, with near 0ºC temperatures and facing the troops. The National Assembly members getting into the building by any means necessary and their staff blocking the soldiers access to the parliamentary hall. It is absolutely admirable.