South Korean’s President Yoon Accepts Defense Minister’s Resignation
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, as announced by the presidential office on Thursday.
“The President has approved the resignation of National Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and has appointed Choi Byung-hyuk, the ambassador to Saudi Arabia, as the new candidate for the position,” the statement from the presidency indicated.
On Tuesday evening, President Yoon declared martial law but reversed his decision six hours later amid pressure from lawmakers and protesters. He accused the opposition of being “hostile forces against the state” due to disagreements over the budget.
On Wednesday, six opposition parties submitted a motion for impeachment demanding President Yoon’s resignation. This motion is scheduled for a vote on Saturday at 7:00 PM local time (10:00 AM GMT), according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.
The imposition of martial law, the first in over 40 years in the country, involved the suspension of political activities, the closure of parliament, and media control.
