"Half of South Korea's Former Presidents Have Been Imprisoned"… WP Criticizes Backlash Against Trump Investigation

After Trump's Search Warrant, GOP Backlash
Column Urges "Pay Attention to Korean Case"
"Presidential Legal Action Not Uncommon in Democracies"

Former U.S. President Donald Trump is leaving the Trump Tower building in New York City on the 10th (local time) to appear at the New York State Prosecutor's Office.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] After the FBI's search of former President Donald Trump's residence, the conservative wing of the Republican Party reacted strongly. The Washington Post (WP) published a column citing the case of South Korea, emphasizing the need to "pay attention to South Korea's peaceful transfer of power."

On the 9th (local time), WP columnist Ishaan Tharoor wrote in a column titled "America joins the ranks of democracies investigating former leaders," stating, "If you are a staunch conservative supporter of the Republican Party, you might feel the end is near," and pointed out, "Judicial actions against former presidents are extremely rare in the U.S., but in many democracies in Europe and Asia, investigations or judicial proceedings against presidents are not uncommon."

Tharoor especially noted, "Asian countries learned and drew inspiration about democracy from the U.S.," adding, "While South Korea may be just one of the most stable democracies in Asia, it is undoubtedly top-tier when it comes to judicial actions against former presidents."

He further emphasized, "As of 2018, half of the living former South Korean presidents were incarcerated," and "the judicial actions against them did not threaten the foundation of South Korean democracy."

He also added, "South Korea, like the U.S., experiences severe political polarization, but it managed to quell public anger over corrupt former presidents and achieve a peaceful democratic transfer of power from conservatives to progressives and back to conservatives," noting, "This is something Americans should pay attention to."

Meanwhile, on the 8th, the FBI conducted a search of former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. This is the first time in U.S. history that a former president's home has been searched. Trump is suspected of illegally removing numerous documents, including "national secrets," to his residence during his term. In response, the Republican Party has voiced opposition, claiming that the investigations by the prosecution and FBI related to Trump have political motives.

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