South Korea’s martial law moment: constitutional crisis, and the regional order

Written by Dr Seohee Park

This crisis represents more than a domestic Korean political drama; it tests the resilience of regional alliances and could accelerate broader geopolitical shifts in an increasingly complex Northeast Asian landscape.

East Asia9DLJanuary 6, 20259DASHLINE, Constitutional crisis and regional order: South Korea’s martial law moment, Seohee Park, South Korea, Korea, Yoon, Yoon government, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon Suk-yeol, Yoon Suk Yeol, President Yoon Suk Yeol, President Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, martial law, First Lady Kim Keon Hee, stock manipulation, corruption, People Power Party (PPP), Han Dong-hoon, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, National Assembly, Mencian principle, authoritarian, collective memory, Syngman Rhee’s anti-communist crackdowns, Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship, Chun Doo-hwan, 1980 Gwangju Democracy Movement, national psyche, military, Yeouido, lawmakers, opposition, South Korea’s democracy, democracy, Constitutional Court, impeachment, bipartisan, Democratic Party (DP), Donald Trump, White House, regional stability, Shigeru Ishiba, Japan, Northeast Asia, diplomatic realignment, diplomatic, Korea passing, Chinese President Xi, Seoul-Tokyo rapprochement, semiconductor, trade, restrictions, Camp David summit, security cooperation, Lee Jae-myung, constitutional crisis, Moon Jae-in, North Korea, America First, Tokyo, Asian NATO, Ukraine, Taiwan, ASEAN, allies, Korean Peninsula, US-Japan alliance, US-UK relationship, Quad, India, Australia, Official Security Assistance (OSA), Philippines, Indonesia, Mongolia, Djibouti, semiconductor supply chains, emerging technologies, impeachment of Acting President Han Duck-soo (Prime Minister)

Sri Lanka’s potential political realignment

Written by Dr Neil DeVotta

Ultimately, given the dire economic and debt situation facing the island, the victorious candidate and his party will have little choice but to balance relations with major powers like India, China, and the United States.

Power Politics, South Asia9DLJuly 31, 20249DASHLINE, Sri Lanka’s potential political realignment, Neil DeVotta, Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan economy, presidential election, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Rajapaksa family, Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism, majoritarian, fiscal stability, balance of payments crisis, United National Party, Ranil Wickremesinghe, taxes, austerity, IMF program, World Bank, food insecure, poverty, Central Bank, debt restructuring, multilateral, bilateral, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, corruption, ‘Ranil-Rajapaksa’ regime, dynasty, Sajith Premadasa, Samagi Jana Balawegaya, SJB, JVP, Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, UNP, IMF, SLPP, creditors, Marxist, insurgencies, ethnic, Sri Lankan Civil War, Sri Lanka’s civil war, human rights violations, Tamils, geopolitics, United States, Australia, Japan, pro-China, China, White Elephant, Chinese loans, Hambantota Port, Mattala International Airport, Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, multi-aligned foreign policy, multi-aligned, India, ethnocracy

A humbled Modi returns to power — What lies ahead

Written by Manali Kumar and Chetan Rana

After a decade of sliding towards authoritarianism, a return to coalition politics promises a path to redemocratisation. Without a clear majority, the BJP can no longer bypass parliamentary scrutiny.

South Asia9DLJune 21, 20249dashline, Manali Kumar, Chetan Rana, Narendra Modi, third consecutive term, Jawaharlal Nehru, prime minister of India, BJP, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Janata Dal (United) (JDU), National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Modi’s rise to power, Congress-led UPA government, over 400 seats, 240 seats, 272-seat majority, INDIA, opposition alliance, gaining over 100 seats, world’s fifth-largest economy, 200 billionaires, 250 million people out of poverty, zero-food children, economic hardships, strong GDP growth, COVID-19, Mid-Day Meals, Integrated Child Development Services, welfare spending, LPG usage, pen defecation reduction, public goods, teacher-to-student ratio, literacy and maths skills, National Education Policy 2020, Changes to school textbooks, Darwin’s theory of evolution, infrastructure spending, over USD 130 billion, Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Foreign direct investment, India's education system, gig jobs, low-paying employment, BJP’s Hindu nationalist agenda, hate speech against Muslims, Andhra Pradesh, NDA allies, 2002 riots, 2004 election defeat, special status to Andhra Pradesh, 2025 Bihar assembly elections, Bihar, council of ministers, Union Minister, Lok Sabha, Nitish Kumar, caste, Chief Minister, nationwide caste census, new welfarism, Agniveer scheme, short-term defence personnel induction program, armed services, Uniform Civil Code, national identity, Hindu majority, narrative of victimhood, Modi’s guarantee, NDA government, NDA, unemployment, stagnant wages, manufacturing sector, corruption, lowest GDP growth since liberalisation, Dr. Manmohan Singh, authoritarianism, coalition politics, a path to redemocratisation, parliamentary scrutiny, A humbled Modi returns to power — What lies ahead

Leadership transition: A curious moment in Singapore’s politics

Written by Pradeep Krishnan

Post-independence politics in Singapore has known a few watershed moments; each noteworthy for chipping away at the PAP’s dominance.

Power Politics, Southeast Asia9DLApril 15, 20249DASHLINE, Pradeep Krishnan, Leadership transition: a curious moment in Singapore’s politics, Singapore, Leadership transition, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Lee Kuan Yew, Lawrence Wong, COVID-19 pandemic, People’s Action Party (PAP), Leadership successions, island-republic, illiberal brand of democracy, illiberal democracy, democracy, political stability, economic vitality, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, non-Chinese prime minister, integrity, clean governance, governance, corruption, Senior Minister S. Iswaran, political courtroom drama, National Development Minister Teh Cheang Wan, conflict of interest, inequality, inequality in Singapore, Gini Coefficient, financial hub, Lee Cheng Hui, Tan Chuan-Jin, parliament, extramarital affair, Jamus Lim, opposition, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Workers’ Party (WP), Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Goh Chok Tong, General Elections, gerrymandering, political and civil liberties, mandate, Post-independence politics in Singapore, opposition leader J.B. Jeyaretnam, Group Representation Constituency (GRC), city-state

South Korea's midterm election tests democratic resilience

Written by Dr Hannes B. Mosler

The short-term challenge of this election is to prevent a conservative majority in parliament, lest the current autocratic episode in South Korean democracy turn into a post-democratic vortex.

East Asia9DLApril 9, 2024HANNES B. MOSLER, South Korea's midterm election tests democratic resilience, 9Dashline, South Korea, democracy, election, parliament, midterm election, democratic resilience, K-pop, Park Geun-hye, Park Geun-hye’s impeachment, corruption, FES Human Rights Prize, mass demonstrations, democracy research, formal democracy, Moon Jae-in, President Yoon Suk-yeol, democracy problem, democratisation, democracy index, V-DEM, South Korea’s democracy, backsliding, autocratizing country, autocratisation, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Liberal Democracy Index, negative campaigning, governance failures, New Right ideology, Itaewon disaster, press freedom, labour rights, ageing society, inflation, real estate prices, medical schools, political parties, President Yoon's inauguration, party leadership, People Power Party (PPP), Lee Jae-myung, Democratic Party (DP), electoral law reform, National Assembly, satellite parties, Justice Minister Cho Kuk, Rebuilding Korea Party, Public Official Election Act, constituency, lame-duck, lame duck, Yoon’s ‘lame duck’ presidency, post-democratic

BRI 2.0: Reflecting on the past, charting the future

Written by Kelly Antoinette Khyriem

As criticisms propel the initiative towards a BRI 2.0, if China actively addresses and mitigates risks associated with its projects by enhancing transparency and accountability frameworks, it has the potential to outpace the emerging alternatives that are challenging the BRI.

East Asia9DLMarch 29, 20249dashline, BRI 2.0: Reflecting on the past, charting the future, Kelly Antoinette Khyriem, Xi Jinping, China, PRC, Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Maritime Silk Road, digital infrastructure, trade policy coordination, financial cooperation, multilateral institutions, Memoranda of Understanding, geopolitical strategy, domestic development, US-led international order, ‘string of pearls’ theory, Chinese investments, naval bases, Indian Ocean, crucial shipping routes, debt-trap diplomacy, BRI-related loans, Sri Lanka, economic sovereignty, debt trap narrative, governance deficiencies, corruption, 1Malaysia Development Berhad, 1MDB, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, CPEC, human rights abuses, BRI infrastructure, BRI commitments, large-scale infrastructure projects, sustainability, ecology, carbon dioxide emissions, environmental implications, EU, US, India, transparency, labour rights, EU-Asia Connectivity Strategy, Global Gateway Initiative, Blue Dot Network, Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, PGII, G20 Leaders' Summit, hydropower plants, solar farms, 5G, public-private partnerships, Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Digital Silk Road, e-commerce initiatives, BRI 2.0, Green Belt and Road, renewable energy, Clean Silk Road, Silk Road Economic Belt, Hambantota Port, Kenya, Zambia, Malaysia, debt management, digital connectivity, debt burdens, renewable energy investment, AIIB

Xi’s purge and corruption in the PLA

Written by Lyle J. Morris

Corruption in China’s military is not a case of a “few bad apples”. Rather, it is indicative of a PLA that has systemic problems with corruption whereby kickbacks and buying and selling of promotions have been standard practice for decades.

East Asia9DLMarch 25, 20249dashline, lyle J morris, Corruption in the PLA and Xi’s purge, People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Chinese President Xi Jinping, China-watching community, National People’s Congress (NPC), PLA Rocket Force (PLARF), China’s conventional and nuclear missile programme, Gen. Ding Laihang, PLA Air Force, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Liu Shiquan, China North Industries Group, China Aerospace Science, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, chair of weapons manufacturer China North Industries Group, China Aerospace Science & Industry Corp executive Wang Changqing, Defence Minister, Li Shangfu, Qin Gang, national security violations, Wu Guohua, the deputy commander of the PLARF, General Armaments Department, Major General Li Mingquan, General Equipment Support Department of the General Armaments Department, EDD, PLARF, SOE, Lin Biao, CIA, Inner Mongolia, Sino-Soviet border conflict, Cold War, Mao, Directive 1, Directive 2, James Mulvenon, graft, military readiness, China’s nuclear strategy, PLA leadership, whistle blower, whistle-blower, China’s military bureaucracy, corruption, i’s senior technocrats, Xi’s purge and corruption in the PLA

Tilting or balancing: Decoding Muizzu’s foreign policy

Written by Michael Kugelman

Ultimately, like any democratic leader, Muizzu will need to walk a tightrope between foreign policy imperatives and domestic political considerations. A balancing policy abroad will also require one at home.

South Asia, Power Politics9DLFebruary 1, 20249dashline, Tilting or balancing: Decoding Muizzu’s foreign policy, MICHAEL KUGELMAN, Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, India, China, Beijing, Male, pro-Beijing, Abdulla Yameen, “India Out” movement, India Out, India’s military, corruption, Maldivians, coup, Islamist extremism, Hindu, International Yoga Day, New Delhi, hydrographic surveys, Turkey, Pakistan, Kashmir, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lakshadweep, Indian tourists, tourism, economic reliance, trade deficit, Chinese research vessel, intelligence, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, intervened militarily, democracy, development, trade agreement, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Maldives-India relations, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, India First, “India First” policy, cybersecurity, COVID-19 vaccines, trade deal, defence deal, UN climate summit, security cooperation, debt, Climate change, geopolitical, Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, nationalism, sovereignty, independence, economic dependence, Chinese influence, hedging policy, hedging, great power competition, anti-Modi, sea lanes, EU, disinformation, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), People’s National Congress (PNC) party

Resurging monarchist sentiment in Nepal: Challenges to democratic redemption

Written by Manish Jung Pulami

The pro-monarchy protests are a reminder that Nepal’s democratic journey is far from over. While the monarchy may be a relic of the past, the underlying grievances that fuelled the latest protests remain relevant today.

Emerging Issues9DLDecember 21, 2023Manish Jung Pulami, Youth Organisation Nepal (YON), Communist Party of Nepal, Durga Prasai, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, national identity, nationalism, Nepal, corruption, federalism, Lalita Niwas Land Scam, Bhutanese Refugee Scam, 9dashline, Resurging monarchist sentiment in Nepal: Challenges to democratic redemption

Evaluating South Korea's democratic backsliding

Written by Dr Mi-son Kim

The current state of South Korean politics suggests that the country is at a critical moment that could determine its fate: democratic backsliding or consolidation.

East Asia9DLOctober 9, 20239dashline, Evaluating South Korea's democratic backsliding, Dr Mi-son Kim, Park Geun-hye, South Korea, impeachment, abuse of power, corruption, Constitutional Court of Korea, candlelight protests, protests, demonstrations, democratic consolidation, President Park, partisan polarisation, concentration of power, Moon Jae-in, Yoon Suk-yeol, weak legislature, Park administration, opposition parties, Labour Reform Act, Service Industry Development Act, bipartisan bill, National Assembly Act, Saenuri Party, democratic transition, veto, Yoo Seung-min, cabinet appointments, presidential impeachment, Democratic Party, Supreme Prosecutor, Korean presidents, National Intelligence Service, Yoon administration, Han Dong-hoon, Park Geun-hye administration, personalist political systems, Kaesong Industrial Complex, North Korea, nuclear, US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, THAAD, Sewol ferry, Japan, hyper-partisan, hostile rhetoric, Lee Myung-bak, coercive state apparatuses, Board of Audit and Inspection, Anything but Moon (ABM), political volatility, democratic backsliding

Bite the hand that fed you: Imran Khan’s populist challenge for the military

Written by Marcus Andreopoulos

Out of office, Khan is proving to be a relentless source of pressure, first for Bajwa and now for Munir. Khan has accused the military of holding the country back during a time of economic and humanitarian catastrophe.

South Asia, Power Politics9DLFebruary 22, 20239DashLine, Bite the hand that fed you: Imran Khan’s populist challenge for the military, Marcus Andreopoulus, Pakistan, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, General Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), elections, military, tensions with India, Taliban, Afghanistan, Durand Line, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, Islamabad, military aid, Washington, united states, Beijing, Imran Khan, populism, populist rhetoric, Russia, mafia media, general election of 2018, Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League (N), General Pervez Musharraf, 1999 military coup, Sharif and Bhutto Zardari dynasties, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), domestic policy, defence, security, and foreign policy, civilian government, financial crisis, military budget, celebrity politicians, Donald Trump, anti-establishment statements, corruption, political elite, cult of personality, us versus them, minority rights, equality, Islamic welfare state, geo-economics, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), mob lynchings, blasphemy laws, primacy of the military, Chief Minister of Punjab Aleem Khan, military’s intelligence wing (ISI), Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, conspiracy, Arshad Sharif, United States Capitol

Political pardons in South Korea: President Yoon’s relationship to rule of law

Written by Hannes B. Mosler

Alongside Japan, South Korea plays a central role for Western allies in the region to support value-based multilateralism with liberal-democratic principles and norms at its core.

Power Politics9DLFebruary 21, 20239dashline, Political pardons in South Korea: President Yoon’s relationship to rule of law, HANNES B. MOSLER, political pardons, South Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, rule of law, Indo-Pacific Strategy, foreign policy strategy, international norms, rules-based order, freedom, democracy, human rights, US, Japan, EU, germany, China, Russia, North Korea, value-based multilateralism, liberal-democratic principles, Global Pivotal State, corruption, election, workers rights, UN International Labor Organization, ILO, freedom of association, freedom of the press, MBC, members of congress, International Federation of Journalists, IFJ, constitutional complaint, pardon, bribery, election interference, white-collar crimes, Lee Myung-bak, embezzlement, tax evasion, prison sentence, fines, Won Se-hoon, smear campaigns, presidential election, influence-peddling scandal, impeachment, abuse of power, officials, high-ranking officials, Kim Ki-chun, Park Chung-hee, Park Geun-hye, Park scandal, special pardons, reconciliation, mass mercy, Democratic Party, amnesty, political gains, democratic deterioration

Cambodian election in 2023: No space for the opposition

Written by Perle Petit

Hun Manet’s image as a ‘clean politician’, in combination with the relative stability of the country (when compared to regional neighbours), will most likely play in the government’s favour in terms of improving Cambodia’s relationship with the West.

Southeast Asia9DLFebruary 14, 20239Dashline, Perle Petit, Cambodian election in 2023: No space for the opposition, Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), elections, ASEAN, China-US power struggle, foreign policy, CPP victory, regime legitimacy, Joe Biden, the West, nepotism, corruption, repression, Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), Sam Rainsy Party, Human Rights Party, opposition, political competition, crackdown, Supreme Court, independent media, civil society, parliamentarians, treason, exile, electoral legitimacy, electoral autocratic ‘window-dressing exercises’, political ban, Candlelight Party (CLP), National Assembly, co-opted legal system, CLP Vice President Son Chhay, mass trials, Dam Sith, National Election Committee, Hun Manet, Commander of the Army, CPP’s Central Committee, old guard, China, US, President of the Senate

China, transnational organised crime, and Southeast Asia’s SEZs — is this Quid pro quo?

Written by Marco Neveu and Charlie Thame

Xi’s anti-corruption projects in the mainland seem to have sparked a degree of outward mobility by the triads from the authoritarian domestic core towards the more liminal and experimental periphery of Chinese influence.

Faultlines9DLNovember 11, 20229DashLine, China, transnational organised crime, and Southeast Asia’s SEZs: Quid pro quo?, Marco Neveu, Charlie Thame, crime, Southeast Asia, Radio Free Asia, Laos, Malaysian workers, Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ), enclave, Laotian, Chinese, Hong Kong, Kings Roman Group, torture, slavery, Sexual Slavery, online scam, Special Economic Zone, ASEAN, organised crime, transnational organised criminal (TOC), UNODC, global supply chains, trafficking, human trafficking, corruption, Thai, Thailand, neo-colonialist, exploitation, Sexual exploitation, economic development, FDI, Xi Jinping, authoritarian, Cold War, Truman administration, United Nations, UN, Bretton Woods institutions, Asian Development Bank, Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Sihanoukville SEZ, Sihanoukville, Cambodia, scam, China’s Ministry of Commerce, Overseas Trade and Cooperation, Myanmar, Belt and Road Initiative, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), state-owned enterprises, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), triad, triads, Han nationalist, secret societies, Qing dynasty, Kuomintang (KMT), Bamboo Union, Chang An-lo, Taiwan, anti-corruption campaign, gangs, spies, Intelligence, patriotism, Americas, Beijing, Chang An-lo (“White Wolf”), Wan Kuok-koi (“Broken Tooth”), Zhao Wei, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, diplomacy, police, crime syndicate, Hun Sen, APEC 2022 forum, APEC

Why factional politics might no longer matter in China

Written by Jabin T. Jacob

Under these circumstances, what will be worth watching is the composition of the Politburo Standing Committee for clues on what Xi’s policy directions for the next five years of his rule are going to be.

East Asia9DLOctober 6, 20229DashLine, Jabin T. Jacob, Jabin Jacob, Why factional politics might no longer matter in China, China, factional politics, authoritarian, authoritarianism, authoritarian rule, regime collapse, Chinese Party, Chinese Party-state, security, defence, Communist Party of China (CPC), Communist Party of China, CPC, Chinese Communist Party, Chinese Communist Party (CCP), CCP, Xi Jingping, Xi Jinping, Xi, Xi Jinping Thought, corruption, loyalist, Surveillance, surveillance, CPC General Secretary, General Secretary, coup, military coup, Mark Twain, PRC, People’s Republic of China, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, Hu Yaobang, Zhao Ziyang, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Mao, Mao Zedong, economy, globalisation, Tiananmen Square, Tiananmen Square massacre, 1989, core leader, one-party authoritarian state, Jiang Zemin’s Shanghai faction, Shanghai faction, laissez-faire capitalism, crony capitalism, Communist Youth League faction, Communist Youth League, Marxism-Leninism, Politburo Standing Committee, Tibet Autonomous Region, Liaoning, 20th Party Congress, WHY FACTIONAL POLITICS MIGHT NO LONGER MATTER IN CHINA

What lies beneath the iceberg, delving deeper into #GotaGoHome

Written by Nathasha Fernando

Wickremesinghe is therefore in a clear dilemma as he is not only expected to negotiate with the International Monetary Fund for a sovereign debt bailout, debt restructuring, and economic recovery plan but to also appease Sri Lanka’s minorities and their broader calls for accountability.

Campaigns, criminalisation and concessions: Indigenous land rights in Cambodia

Written by Bunly Soeung

In Cambodia, the violation of the land rights of indigenous peoples who have lived for thousands of years in their ancestral forests continues unabated.

Editor's Picks9DLAugust 31, 20229DashLine, Campaigns, criminalisation, and concessions: indigenous land rights in Cambodia, Bunly Soeung, Cambodia, indigenous communities, indigenous peoples, indigenous rights, chuncheat, Khmer, North Cambodia, North Eastern Cambodia, Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, Kratie, Stung Treng, Kampong Thom, Preah Vihear, forests, natural resources, agricultural production, slash-and-burn cultivation, forest resources, Khmer Rouge, civil war, abolished private land ownership, vietnam, UNTAC, timber extraction, agro-industrial plantation, Department of Ethnic Minorities Development, Ministry of Rural Development and Land Law, Land Management and Administration Project, Sub-Decree on Economic Land Concessions, UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Protected Area Law, National Policy on the Development of Indigenous Peoples, Sub-Decree No. 83, registration of land, private industrial agriculture companies, LICADHO, economic land concessions, ELCs, state land, industrial agriculture investment, rural communities, large-scale industrial agriculture, granted lands, human rights, hydropower construction, exploitative mining, illegal logging, deforestation, displacement, environmental pollution, ruling elite, concessions, China, Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, patron-client networks, political elites, patronage system, corruption, land policy reform, politico-commercial elites, high-ranking officials, Try Pheap, TTY, Chinese Guangdong Hengfu Group, Communal land registration, legal communal land titles, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Interior, Chong, Koh Kong, Areng Valley, hydropower dam, Ministry of Environment, lèse-majesté, Chut Wutty, Ven Vorn, Mother Nature Cambodia, Casotim, Phnom Penh, BUNLY SOEUNG

Ranil Wickremesinghe’s quest to bring ‘stability’ to Sri Lanka

Written by Isha Gupta

Sri Lanka’s new government should focus less on restoring its previous ‘stability’ and do everything in its power to build a new governance system to prevent future policy failures and reflect the protestors’ demands.