South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s party is vowing to oppose efforts to impeach him after his failed attempt to impose martial law in the country. The defense minister, Kim Yong-hyun, resigned due to his role in the chaotic martial law period, and he was replaced by retired four-star army general Choi Byung-hyuk. Yoon’s chief of staff and senior secretaries also resigned following the debacle.
The martial law declaration, the first since 1980, led to a ban on political activities and media censorship, sparking public outrage that forced Yoon to rescind the order. Protesters continue to call for his resignation, and the opposition Democratic Party has set a vote on the impeachment motion for Saturday.
Opposition lawmakers seek a two-thirds majority to pass the impeachment motion, which could be challenging as Yoon’s People Power Party opposes it, despite denouncing the martial law declaration. If the motion fails, lawmakers plan to keep trying until Yoon is impeached, with the Constitutional Court conducting a trial to confirm the impeachment within 180 days.
International reactions to the situation include U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell criticizing Yoon’s decision to declare martial law, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of resolving the situation peacefully and according to the constitution and rule of law. The Biden administration was unaware of Yoon’s announcement ahead of time, but Blinken denied any intelligence failure in the situation.
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