Crisis and Continuity: South Korea Votes in the Shadow of Impeachment

In a dramatic turn of events, South Korea finds itself navigating a rare and volatile political moment. Following President Yoon’s declaration of martial law in December 2024, Parliament swiftly moved to impeach him—a decision later upheld by the Constitutional Court. Now, the nation is bracing for a high-stakes presidential race on June 3rd. This political upheaval unfolds against a backdrop of economic strain. Korea’s economy contracted in the first quarter of 2025, exacerbated by newly imposed U.S. tariffs. As the country grapples with its future, key issues dominate the national conversation: how to manage tense trade relations with President Trump’s administration, recalibrate ties with China, and stabilize the faltering economy. Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung currently leads in the polls, but the race is far from decided. The outcome could reshape Korea’s domestic and international trajectory for years to come. Join the World Affairs Council of Atlanta for a free, public webinar in which Ambassador (ret.) Charles Shapiro will discuss the results and the implications for U.S.-Korea relations with leading Korea expert Sydney Seiler. Advanced registration is required.

Distinguished Speaker - Sydney Seiler is a Senior Adviser (Non-resident), Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. He was the national intelligence officer for North Korea at the National Intelligence Council from 2020 to 2023 and is one of the nation’s top experts on North Korea. Previously, he was the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) senior analyst and senior defense intelligence expert for North Korea from 2016 to 2020, serving as the principal adviser and senior expert on Korean Peninsula security issues to the USFK commander and the U.S. Defense Intelligence Enterprise. A member of the Senior National Intelligence Service, Mr. Seiler has over 40 years of experience focusing on Korean Peninsula affairs in a range of executive management, intelligence, and policy positions within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Directorate of Analysis, the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, the CIA’s Open Source Center, and the National Security Agency.

Moderator - Amb. (ret.) Charles Shapiro, former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela, is co-founder of Art of Diplomacy Travel and Dawson-Shapiro, LLC, a consulting group. At the U.S. Department of State, Shapiro held a number of senior positions including Ambassador to Venezuela, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, and Director of Cuban Affairs. His foreign assignments include Venezuela, Chile, Trinidad and Tobago, El Salvador and Denmark. He led the Institute of the Americas, a think tank at UCSD (2011-2014) and the World Affairs Council of Atlanta (2014-2022). While at the Council, he also taught international business at the Robinson College of Business at GSU. Shapiro’s op-eds have been published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the Miami Herald, the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, and most recently the Toronto Star.