It is so good to have good news again lately.

First, the world mostly cheered as it witnessed the stunning fall of the horribly brutal regime of the Assad family in Syria on December 8, 2024. That situation is not over, and nations including the United States and Israel were quick to take military actions inside of Syria for their own security interests. But seeing ordinary Syrians with smiles brought me joy.

And now, today, December 14, 2024, the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea voted to impeach its president, Yoon Suk Yeol, who declared martial law on December 3, 2024 (literally in the dark of night), only to rescind that order six hours later when faced with democratic opposition in the nation’s elected legislative body and in the streets.

This is what democracy looks like, and I am so impressed by the people of South Korea for defending their country’s basic democratic freedoms. Well done! This is footage, shared by AFP, of the moment the vote by the National Assembly was announced.

Personally, I am in need of hope now, and I want to thank the people of Syria and South Korea for sharing that with the world.