On Thursday, the president of South Korea accepted the resignation of his defense minister amid growing political turmoil, as opposition parties advanced efforts to impeach both individuals following a controversial and brief martial law declaration that saw military personnel deployed on the streets of Seoul.
The main opposition group, the Democratic Party, along with smaller parties, filed a joint impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday, reacting to his martial law announcement made the night before. This declaration was short-lived, lasting roughly six hours, as the National Assembly swiftly convened to repeal it, compelling the president to lift the law before dawn on Wednesday.
In response to the unfolding situation, President Yoon appointed Choi Byung Hyuk, a retired four-star general and South Korea’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, as the new defense minister, replacing Kim Yong Hyun. The president’s office did not release further comments, and Yoon has been notably absent from public engagements since announcing the decision to revoke martial law in a televised speech.
Opposing parties have also put forth a separate motion to impeach Kim, accusing him of having advised Yoon to declare martial law. Kim, acknowledging the chaos and concern his actions caused, offered his resignation, stating, “all troops who performed duties related to martial law were acting on my instructions, and all responsibility lies with me,” according to the Defense Ministry.
The impeachment proposal against Yoon was brought to the parliamentary floor early Thursday, and it must be voted on by the end of the weekend. If the motion is not addressed within 72 hours of its introduction, it will be deemed null. The opposition has the option to introduce another motion should the current one fail or be discarded, as noted by officials from the National Assembly.
The likelihood of Yoon facing impeachment appears uncertain, particularly after the ruling conservative People Power Party announced its intention to oppose the motion. Choo Kyung-ho, the party’s floor leader, informed the media that discussions would continue regarding the strategy to counter the motion. It’s speculated that members of the PPP may choose to either boycott the voting process or actively vote against the proposal.
