South Korea’s Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun has submitted his resignation to President Yoon Suk Yeol, as reported by the Korean News Agency. This decision comes amidst mounting criticism following the implementation of a brief period of martial law, which resulted in political turmoil within the country.
For the resignation to take effect, President Yoon Suk Yeol must approve Minister Kim Yong-hyun's decision. The South Korea Ministry of National Defense has been contacted for further information regarding this development.
The timing of Minister Kim's resignation coincided with the announcement by the main opposition Democratic Party that they had initiated a motion to impeach him. However, should the defense minister's resignation be accepted and he steps down, the impeachment motion may become unnecessary, as suggested by analysts.
President Yoon Suk Yeol has been facing increasing criticism from various political factions, including members of his own party, who have called for the dismissal of the defense minister. Prior to this, six opposition parties, including the Democratic Party, jointly submitted a bill advocating for President Yoon's impeachment. The bill is anticipated to be presented during the upcoming plenary session on Thursday, with the voting scheduled for either Friday or Saturday, according to the Korean News Agency.
