President Yoon Suk Yeol accepts Defense Minister's resignation

President Yoon Suk Yeol has accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who is believed to have advised Yoon to declare martial law, according to presidential Chief of Staff Chung Jin-suk on Thursday. At a briefing Thursday morning, Chung said Yoon has approved Kim's dismissal from the post, without clarifying when his approval was made. Yoon tapped Choi Byung-hyuk, a retired four-star Army general who is currently the ambassador to Saudi Arabia, as the new Defense Minister

Dec. 5, 2024

Impeachment motion to be voted on Saturday

The motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol will be put to the vote at around 7 p.m. on Saturday, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea said Thursday. According to the party, the bill for launching an independent counsel investigation into first lady Kim Keon Hee will be voted on at the same time. The Democratic Party and five other minor opposition parties tabled the motion to impeach the president at the National Assembly plenary session that kicked off around 12:50 a.m. Thursday. Th

Dec. 5, 2024

Ruling party to vote against President Yoon Suk Yeol impeachment bill; Leader demands Yoon quit party

The ruling People Power Party announced Thursday plans to vote against the motion filed to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, who declared martial law Tuesday in a surprise move. The decision was made at an emergency party meeting held at 10 p.m. Wednesday. Rep. Kwak Kyu-taek, senior spokesperson of the ruling party, said the party's decision implies that the impeachment motion as it is is "not acceptable." If all 108 ruling party lawmakers vote against the impeachment motion, it wo

Dec. 5, 2024

Anti-Yoon protesters hold candlelight rallies nationwide

Civic and labor groups on Wednesday held candlelight or protest rallies across the nation to demand the resignation of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his controversial martial law declaration. The Korean Federation of Trade Unions, People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy and other civic groups organized a massive candlelight rally at Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul, with an estimated 2,000 people in attendance. Participants criticized President Yoon for his short-lived attempt

Dec. 4, 2024

Yoon meets PM, PPP leadership amid opposition's impeachment bid

President Yoon Suk Yeol held a meeting with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and leaders of the ruling People Power Party likely to discuss follow-up measures after opposition parties submitted an impeachment motion in response to the short-lived martial law declaration. Prime Minister Han, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon and floor leader Choo Kyung-ho convened at the presidential office just hours after the opposition submitted the motion, following the National Assembly's rejection of the martial l

Dec. 4, 2024

Seoul defense chief offers to resign over martial rule

Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun offered to step down Wednesday shortly after the Democratic Party of Korea filed an impeachment bill against him over his role in President Yoon Suk Yeol declaring martial law a day prior. In a brief text message, the South Korean defense minister said he accepts full responsibility for all events related to Tuesday’s martial law declaration and that he told the president he intended to resign. Kim said all members of the country’s armed f

Dec. 4, 2024

Yoon aides, Cabinet members offer to resign

President Yoon Suk Yeol's entire Cabinet and all of his aides offered to step down from their posts in the aftermath of the six-hour fiasco triggered by Yoon's surprise declaration of martial law Tuesday night. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo discussed the matter with leaders of the ruling People Power Party and Yoon's aides at an emergency meeting held at 2 p.m. at the Prime Minister's office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The closed-door meeting lasted for approximately an hour and a hal

Dec. 4, 2024

How concerned should you be about Korea's martial law turmoil?

South Korea enacted a martial law decree late Tuesday night and then lifted it early Wednesday morning. What does this mean and how concerned should you be, if you’re planning a trip or currently in the country? Here’s a brief rundown. Intense winter of politics ahead Politically, South Korea braces for a potentially volatile winter, with the fate of its president, Yoon Suk Yeol, hanging in the balance. Calls for him to step down are exploding, with the six opposition parties pushi

Dec. 4, 2024

Seoul mayor calls for thorough investigation into martial law declaration

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon described President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law late Tuesday as “an act that fundamentally violated the essence of democracy,” calling for an investigation. "What is most urgent now is a thorough investigation,” said Oh, during a press briefing on Wednesday, hours after the presidential measure was stopped by the parliament. “We must hold accountable all those who participated in this ‘act of democratic destruction.&r

Dec. 4, 2024

South Korea faces unprecedented turmoil in aftermath of Yoon's martial law

-Yoon to face deepening political isolation amid growing threats of impeachment -All senior aides, Cabinet members offer to resign -Opposition submits bills to impeach Yoon, defense minister -Offering to resign, defense minister apologizes, says will take sole responsibility -Ruling party, PM convene at presidential office, PPP split on severing ties with Yoon -Supreme Court chief justice says illegality of martial law declaration will be reviewed -Armed troops forcibly enter Assembly for 1st ti

Dec. 4, 2024

Ex-PM and other politicians accused of 'supporting' martial law

While most politicians berated President Yoon Suk Yeol for an "unconstitutional and illegal" declaration of martial law, a handful of conservative politicians expressed their support for the beleaguered president. One of the biggest names to openly support the president's move is Hwang Kyo-ahn, a member of the ruling People Power Party who was prime minister under ex-President Park Geun-hye. On coattails of Yoon declaring martial law on Tuesday night, Hwang wrote in a Facebook p

Dec. 4, 2024

The six-hour shambles that showed Korean democracy's strength

South Korea's extreme political polarization and acrimony put its democracy to the test when President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late Tuesday, in an apparent preemptive move to prevent opposition parties from stymieing his presidency with budget cuts and the impeachment of key officials. In such a crisis, democratic institutions demonstrated their resilience, a strength that has safeguarded the country’s young, but vibrant democracy, experts and observers said Wednesday. Po

Dec. 4, 2024

Why did President Yoon Suk Yeol resort to martial law?

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of emergency martial law on Tuesday has sparked widespread criticism, marking the first time in over 40 years that such a measure has been invoked. Political experts suggest that the unprecedented move is rooted in Yoon’s increasing political isolation, compounded by numerous scandals, legislative gridlock and growing tensions with both opponents and allies. Park Chang-hwan, a political commentator and professor at Jangan University,

Dec. 4, 2024

Confusion, disbelief, outrage spread across Korea after martial law declaration

The declaration of emergency martial law by President Yoon Suk Yeol has left citizens grappling with disbelief, fear and anger. The unprecedented move, announced late Tuesday night, has plunged the nation into a state of uncertainty, evoking painful memories of some of South Korea’s authoritarian past and sparking concerns about the future of the country’s democracy. As the news spread early Wednesday morning, commuters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, gathered in the bustling City Hall area to

Dec. 4, 2024

'No one knew': PM, ruling party, aides say they were unaware of Yoon's plan

High-ranking political officials, including ruling party members, the prime minister and presidential aides, were not notified in advance of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration, according to local media reports Wednesday. According to media sources, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and the 19 other Cabinet members were reportedly unaware of Yoon’s decision to declare martial law, and only learned of the declaration during an emergency Cabinet meeting convened sh

Dec. 4, 2024

What martial law means to South Koreans: Echo of nation's history of oppression

The six-hour standoff that tossed the South Korean democracy into turmoil on Tuesday echoed images of the powerful authoritarian rule during the 1970s and 80s, leading many people to revisit the times of suppression through the use of coercion and brutality. This also gave a familiar reminder of the dark chapter of the country's history where the military arrested protesting activists and banned political activity, and media -- across all mediums -- censored. "As a person who experienc

Dec. 4, 2024

Shattered windows, couch barricades: Martial law troops break into National Assembly

After President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in a late-night address to the nation Tuesday, a tense standoff unfolded in the National Assembly for over two hours until lawmakers voted to overturn military rule. In the hours following the declaration, armed troops forcibly entered the Assembly for the first time in the history of the country’s legislature. From around 10:50 p.m., less than an hour after Yoon’s surprise martial law declaration, the Assembly compound was lined wit

Dec. 4, 2024

Social media takes center stage in tense hours of martial law in South Korea

In the tense first hours of martial law in South Korea, social media emerged as a lifeline for defiance, with politicians, journalists and ordinary citizens using it to document and disseminate real-time developments. On YouTube, X and Instagram, short clips and videos flowed from the scene as the unexpected event unfolded in the middle of the night. Main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who had rallied his party’s lawmakers to the Assembly, began livestreaming on his YouTube channel at

Dec. 4, 2024

Swedish Prime Minister cancels Seoul visit

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has canceled his trip to Seoul this week, his office said Wednesday. The prime minister had planned to make an official two-day visit to Seoul starting Thursday. Below are the statements from the prime minister's office. ”We have closely followed developments during the night of December 3rd. With recent developments we have concluded that it is better to travel to the Republic of Korea in the future. As in all democracies, political difference

Dec. 4, 2024

Tuesday's developments confirm lawmakers' 'martial law predictions'

The notion that a democratic-era South Korean president would declare martial law in a non-combat situation would’ve appeared far-fetched even a day ago. But what had been dismissed by the presidential office as a cock-and-bull story to "shake the administration" became reality Tuesday night, as the country saw emergency martial law declared for the first time since the days of military dictatorship. Now some people are questioning whether members of the main opposition Democrati

Dec. 4, 2024