Growing public outrage over Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law has placed the South Korean president at serious risk of impeachment, potentially inaugurating an extended period of political uncertainty that North Korea could exploit.

Yoon’s fate is still up in the air as political battles play out ahead of a parliamentary vote on impeachment on Saturday, and procedural hurdles could block efforts to oust him even if the measure is successful.

Irrespective of how it plays out, lingering uncertainties may well affect Seoul’s efforts to counter North Korea, particularly as the ROK’s defense structures go through a major overhaulin