[Breaking] Ruling party leader says impeachment against Yoon now only solution

Ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon said Thursday that it "has been confirmed" that President Yoon Suk Yeol is not willing to participate in the party's plan for his orderly resignation, and stressed that impeachment is the "only valid way" to stop him from exercising his powers as president. Han's remarks, made at a press briefing, follow Yoon's public address on Saturday, in which he said he would hand over the rest of his term and the fate of his p

Dec. 12, 2024

Yoon refuses to resign, defends martial law against 'monstrous' opposition

President Yoon Suk Yeol defended his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3 in a televised address to the nation Thursday morning. The 63-year-old conservative president is facing a threat of impeachment by the opposition-controlled National Assembly since his short-lived imposition of martial law. Yoon denounced the opposition parties' abuse of power as unconstitutional, while claiming his use of executive power was within the constitutional framework. "I thought I cannot just wait and

Dec. 12, 2024

Natl. Assembly set to vote on special counsel probe bill into Yoon's insurrection charges

The National Assembly is set to open a plenary session Thursday to vote on a special counsel bill to investigate whether President Yoon Suk Yeol committed insurrection and other violations over his short-lived declaration of martial law last week. The Assembly will also vote on a bill mandating a special counsel probe into two key allegations involving first lady Kim Keon Hee -- her alleged involvement in a stock manipulation scheme and interference in election nominations through a power broker

Dec. 12, 2024

Prosecutors call in health minister in martial law probe

Prosecutors were questioning Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong on Thursday as part of a widening investigation into the botched martial law order by President Yoon Suk Yeol, officials said. The special prosecution team handling the probe called Cho in for questioning over his alleged involvement in Yoon's martial law declaration, including his attendance at a Cabinet meeting where the martial law was believed to have been discussed. Cho is the first known Cabinet member to be undergoing questio

Dec. 12, 2024

Yoon conducts legal review of martial law decree: ex-defense minister

President Yoon Suk Yeol had conducted a legal review of last week's martial law decree in person while rewriting it, the ex-defense minister, one of the key suspects in the alleged insurrection, said Wednesday. Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun was questioned by prosecutors at a detention facility for the first time since his arrest earlier in the day. During the five-hour questioning, he reportedly testified that President Yoon had conducted a legal review of the martial law declaratio

Dec. 11, 2024

Yoon's office hands over 'very limited' documents to block police raid

Police ended their hourslong attempt on Wednesday to raid the presidential office as the presidential security service refused to cooperate with their investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol's alleged insurrection through his brief imposition of martial law last week. Instead, Yoon's office voluntarily submitted "very limited" documents and materials to the police. A team of 18 investigators arrived at the presidential office compound shortly before noon to search for ma

Dec. 11, 2024

What if martial law had not been aborted?

With the Dec. 3 martial law decree nullified in just six hours, South Koreans dodged a bullet, possibly quite literally. Criminal investigations into President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration have uncovered plans and details suggesting the situation could have unfolded very differently had the National Assembly failed to stop the president. What if the attempt had succeeded? What would South Korea look like under Yoon’s martial law? Here is a scenario based on the martial law

Dec. 11, 2024

Ex-broadcast watchdog head likely to defend Yoon Suk Yeol in court: reports

Kim Hong-il, former chief of South Korea's broadcast watchdog the Korea Communications Commission, might serve as one of President Yoon Suk Yeol's attorneys should Yoon's legal troubles deepen, according to news reports Wednesday. Kim, who had reportedly quit local law firm Shin & Kim, would be joined on a team of up to six attorneys, according to news reports. This came as police accused Yoon of inciting insurrection by declaring martial law and cracking down on dissidents th

Dec. 11, 2024

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo regrets failing to stop martial law

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said he opposed President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration on Dec. 3 and regretted he could not keep Yoon's martial law imposition at bay. "Ultimately, I could not stop (the martial law declaration)," Han told lawmakers at the National Assembly's plenary session Wednesday. "I feel regretful and remorseful." Han's remarks preceded the Cabinet members' apology. Han and most other Cabinet members bowed in unison in a sh

Dec. 11, 2024

Joint investigation team on Yoon launched

A joint investigative body was formed on Wednesday to investigate President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived declaration of martial law, amid concerns over overlapping investigations into the high-profile case that deals with allegations of insurrection of a sitting president. The Korean National Police Agency's National Office of Investigation said it would work together with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the Defense Ministry "to leverage the stren

Dec. 11, 2024

"Denture-tube:" South Korea's YouTube conspiracy machine

On the night of Dec. 3, just minutes after President Yoon Suk Yeol's shocking declaration of martial law, dozens of elite military commandos descended on an obscure office building on the outskirts of Seoul. Their target was the headquarters of the National Election Commission -- the country's otherwise staid bureaucratic body that oversees elections. The raid proved anticlimactic -- the commandos only managed to snap a few photos of internal server systems before retreating, failing t

Dec. 11, 2024

After commander’s tell-all testimony, Assembly launches martial law probe

The National Assembly has launched an investigation of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law enactment on Dec. 3, after a commander testified he received direct orders from the president to detain lawmakers. Speaker Woo Won-shik told reporters Wednesday that the commander’s testimony given at the Assembly national defense committee a day prior suggested Yoon tried to block lawmakers from gathering to prevent them from exercising their constitutional duties. “If the testimony is

Dec. 11, 2024

Another ruling party lawmaker withdraws opposition

Rep. Kim Jae-sub of the People Power Party announced Wednesday that he will vote in favor of President Yoon Suk-Yeol’s impeachment in a press conference at the National Assembly. Kim told the reporters that he abstained from voting last week, feeling that the president deserved more time to make a decision. “The resignation needs order and time. But the president is refusing to leave," he said, noting reports that Yoon may argue the legality of declaring martial law. Criticizing

Dec. 11, 2024

[Newsmaker] Ex-intel commander appears key to alleged martial law plan

Three-star Army general Yeo In-hyung, former chief of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, is facing growing scrutiny over allegations he played a key role in facilitating the recent martial law declaration. Yeo has denied the accusations, claiming the DCC was unaware of the plans. However, emerging testimony and evidence cast doubt on Yeo’s claims, raising questions about his involvement in President Yoon Suk Yeol's controversial martial law declaration. Contradicting stories I

Dec. 11, 2024

Main opposition set to file new motion to impeach Yoon over martial law declaration

The main opposition Democratic Party is set to introduce a new impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday over his failed bid to impose martial law, days after Yoon avoided impeachment because most ruling party lawmakers boycotted a vote. The DP's move comes after a motion to impeach Yoon was scrapped last Saturday due to a lack of quorum as nearly all lawmakers from Yoon's ruling People Power Party boycotted the vote. Following the scrapping of the motion, the DP

Dec. 11, 2024

Ex-defense minister formally arrested on insurrection charges

Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun was formally arrested Wednesday on charges of helping President Yoon Suk Yeol stage an insurrection through his short-lived imposition of martial law last week. The Seoul Central District Court issued a warrant for his arrest after prosecutors accused Kim of engaging in "essential" activities in insurrection and abusing his power to obstruct the exercising of rights when martial law was in place for six hours between Tuesday and Wednesday last week

Dec. 11, 2024

[Graphic News] Lee Jae-myung leads suitability for the next president

As President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law raises the possibility of an early presidential election, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, has emerged as the leading candidate for the presidency. A survey conducted by Media Research and commissioned by the news agency Newspim polled 1,007 men and women aged 18 and older nationwide using an automatic response system (ARS) on Sunday. Respondents were asked, “Among the following individuals, who do you t

Dec. 11, 2024

Court issues arrest warrant for ex-defense minister on insurrection charges

A court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on charges of helping President Yoon Suk Yeol stage an insurrection through his short-lived imposition of martial law last week. The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant at the request of the prosecution, who accused Kim of engaging in "essential" activities in insurrection and abuse of power in connection with Yoon's declaration of martial law last Tuesday. The warrant's issuance

Dec. 11, 2024

Finance ministry vows swift execution of 2025 budget

The government will make every effort to prepare for the swift execution of next year's budget to help stabilize people's livelihoods and respond to external uncertainties, the finance ministry said Tuesday. The ministry issued the statement shortly after the National Assembly passed next year's national budget of 673.3 trillion won ($471.5 billion), following a 4.1 trillion-won cut by the main opposition Democratic Party. "The government will make every effort to prepare for

Dec. 10, 2024

Culture minister urges opposition to halt impeachment of Cabinet ministers

The culture minister on Tuesday called on opposition parties to refrain from impeaching two Cabinet ministers overseeing the nation's legal and security matters in connection with President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law declaration, warning such actions could destabilize the government. Speaking in his capacity as the government spokesperson at the main government building in Seoul, Yu In-chon issued a public statement emphasizing the need for stability in state governance. &

Dec. 10, 2024