South Korea's President Appoints New Defence Minister Amid Threat Of Resignation

• 5.12.2024, 8:13

He was previously ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has appointed the country's new defence minister. This happened after an unsuccessful attempt to introduce martial law in the country.

This is reported by Reuters.

The agency writes that the head of state accepted the resignation of Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun and instead of him appointed Choi Byung-hyuk, who was South Korea's ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Kim, who resigned on Wednesday, was reportedly seen as a central figure in Yoon's declaration of martial law on Tuesday. He was the one who made that recommendation to the country's president, as evidenced by impeachment papers from the opposition, as well as a senior military official.

As a result, the nomination of a new candidate was Yoon's first official move after he announced on Wednesday morning that martial law had already been lifted. All this took place amid political turmoil and diplomatic fallout.

We remind you that on December 3, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol announced the introduction of martial law in the country. However, it was not due to a military threat from outside, but to the political situation inside the country. Such actions caused upheaval.

This morning, South Korea's opposition parties filed a bill in parliament to impeach the president. However his party has vowed to oppose it, casting doubt on the process. A vote on the issue is due to take place as early as tomorrow, Friday, December 6.