South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun He offered his resignation this Wednesday and apologized to the South Koreans “for causing confusion and concern” with the application of martial law, a measure that has also led to a dismissal motion against him by the opposition.
Kim put his position at the disposal of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and was willing to “assume responsibility for all matters related to martial law”, through a statement published by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
“All soldiers who fulfilled their duties related to martial law They followed the instructions of the Ministry, and all the responsibility falls on me,” Kim said.
martial law “was lifted and the public has returned to their daily livesbut the domestic political and security situation are not easy,” added the minister, who noted that he will make “every effort to ensure that there are no disruptions in national defense operations.”
Kim would have been one of the senior defense officials who suggested Yoon resort to martial law to face the complex political situation that his minority government was facing, according to local media.
Yoon announced the imposition of martial law in a televised statement before midnight Wednesday to protect the “constitutional order” from “anti-state” activities, of which he accuses the main opposition bloc, the Democratic Party (PD), which he also described as “pro-North Korean forces.”
But the opposition, which controls the National Assembly, pushed forward a motion to lift martial law about six hours after it was declared by Yoon, forcing the Executive to withdraw the measure, and after South Korean troops will try to take over parliament and they will clash with politicians, officials and journalists.
Likewise, the six opposition parties began this Wednesday a parliamentary motion to remove Yoonwhile the aforementioned PD presented another similar initiative against the Minister of Defense. The opposition forces consider both responsible for violating the Constitution for having applied martial law without sufficient reasons.
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