Seoul custody
South Korea, Southeast Asia, China, Canada, and NATO.
The five things you need to know today:
SOUTH KOREA. The president's impeachment is upheld.
SOUTHEAST ASIA. An economic engine is pushed towards China.
CHINA. A TikTok-for-tariffs deal will be seen as bizarre and offensive.
CANADA. Ottawa’s pushback will be template or cautionary tale.
NATO. Europe considers an alliance without the US.
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SOUTH KOREA. Suk's to be Yoon
The president's impeachment is upheld.
The Constitutional Court unanimously upheld President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment Friday, leading to elections within 60 days. Yoon's portrait was removed from government buildings. A separate insurrection trial will begin on 14 April.
INTELLIGENCE. Yoon's lawyers complained of procedural unfairness, but the decision seems final. Markets, which expected the verdict, can return to the uncertainty arising from the US. And with the Democratic Party's Lee Jae Myung likely to be the next president, that uncertainty is due to get more interesting. Lee has taken a softer line on North Korea and China, and a harder one on Japan. He still values the US alliance, but more are asking if it's worth it.
FOR BUSINESS. Seoul was hit with 25% tariffs. Yoon's pro-Trump views (some supporters wore MAGA hats to their rallies) have been further discredited at a time when Beijing and Pyongyang are flexing muscles. It's not helped that North Korea wasn't on Trump's tariff list (or was described Monday as a "big nuclear country" Trump was in "communication" with). Yoon may be the one being impeached, but it’s the US’s Indo-Pacific strategy that’s on trial.
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SOUTHEAST ASIA. Tariff stricken
An economic engine is pushed towards China.
Vietnam expressed regret after the US placed 46% tariffs on its exports Thursday. Preparations began for the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. Sergey Lavrov said Moscow was looking to expand defence cooperation with Hanoi..
INTELLIGENCE. A pillar of 'China+1' strategies encouraged by previous administrations, Vietnam has been hit hard