Public accounts from Cabinet members at the National Assembly have exposed a troubling picture of President Yoon Suk Yeol's Dec. 3 martial law declaration: One of a clandestine and illegitimate decision that bypassed nearly the entire Cabinet, silenced its opposition, and violated due process. The hours before Yoon's late-night announcement were chaotic, with most Cabinet members kept in the dark. Below is a look at the time leading up to and after the declaration, based on their accou

Politics Dec. 18, 2024

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on Wednesday vowed to restore market credibility amid the ongoing political turmoil, stressing that the indicators that gauge market volatility and economic instability show signs of easing thanks to the swift responses by the government and the country's constitutional and economic systems. "The budget plan and key tax bills were passed in the National Assembly on Dec. 10, demonstrating that Korean economic policies are moving forward through consultatio

Foreign Affairs Dec. 18, 2024

South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul pledged Sunday to facilitate smooth preparations for the incoming Trump administration under Acting President Han Duck-soo’s leadership, emphasizing his readiness to swiftly travel to the US to engage with the Trump team if needed. During a news conference held a day after the National Assembly voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his abrupt martial law declaration, Cho outlined the Foreign Ministry’s priorities and operational

Foreign Affairs Dec. 15, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol's abrupt declaration of martial law has led to his impeachment, making him the third South Korean president suspended from office by the National Assembly. His political fate now lies in the hands of the Constitutional Court. The impeachment motion passed in a 204-85 vote, with three abstentions and eight invalid ballots on Saturday, narrowly clearing the 200-vote threshold in the 300-member parliament. Notably, at least 12 lawmakers from Yoon’s 108-member ruli

Politics Dec. 15, 2024

South Korea's top senior diplomats held high-level talks with envoys from the United States, Japan and China on Saturday evening, shortly after the National Assembly's passing of a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol. The meetings were intended to explain domestic political developments, including the passage of the impeachment motion against Yoon, and highlight Seoul's resolve to sustain diplomatic momentum and strengthen ties with key partners under acting President and Pr

Foreign Affairs Dec. 14, 2024

China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday criticized President Yoon Suk Yeol's public address, in which he defended his martial law decree and denounced main opposition party policies by citing allegations of Chinese nationals spying in South Korea and expressing concerns over China's growing green industry. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said China is "deeply surprised and dissatisfied" with President Yoon’s remarks, adding that Beijing has taken note o

Foreign Affairs Dec. 12, 2024

North Korea's continued media coverage of South Korea's political turmoil likely reflects a calculated effort to bolster domestic support of the Kim Jong-un regime by exposing its citizens to such reports, the Unification Ministry in Seoul said Thursday. North Korean state media, catering to domestic audiences, resumed detailed coverage on Wednesday of the political upheaval sparked by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s abrupt and short-lived martial law decree on Dec. 3. This followed a

Politics Dec. 12, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol's sudden, fleeting invocation of martial law has sparked a wave of urgent calls from lawmakers to reform the martial law act, aimed at preventing presidential overreach and safeguarding the National Assembly’s ability to function even under a state of martial law. A total of 11 proposed amendments to the Martial Law Act have been submitted after the Assembly was besieged and infiltrated by armed special forces during Yoon's late-night declaration of emerge

Politics Dec. 10, 2024

Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho said Tuesday that he "will make every effort to ensure the stable management of the situation on the Korean Peninsula" in his first public remarks since President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Dec. 3 martial law declaration. "I will carry out my duties with the utmost vigilance and without any lapse until my final day in office at this critical juncture, where inter-Korean relations are grave and uncertainties in the external environment are mounting,"

Politics Dec. 10, 2024

South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Monday called for diplomatic efforts to restore global trust amid the political turmoil sparked by President Yoon Suk Yeol's Dec. 3 martial law declaration, which has drawn widespread international condemnation as democratic backsliding. "We must also be unremitting in our efforts to restore the trust of our partners and once again measure up to the expectations the international community has of Korea," Cho said during the senior

Foreign Affairs Dec. 9, 2024

The failed impeachment vote against President Yoon Suk Yeol, derailed by a lack of quorum on Saturday, has prompted sharp comparisons to the single vote that ousted President Park Geun-hye. The focus now shifts to why only three members of the ruling People Power Party defied the party’s boycott, particularly when just eight defections would have been enough to push Yoon’s impeachment forward with 200 votes out of the 300-member Assembly. The outcome is particularly notable given the

Politics Dec. 9, 2024

South Korea's diplomacy stands on shaky ground, as a leadership vacuum and the fallout from President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law debacle threaten to derail key foreign policy priorities -- among them, his Global Pivotal State vision and values-driven diplomacy --while risking the undoing of hard-won achievements. The turmoil has also drained the country’s vanishing political capital, further weakening its ability to steer its foreign policy agenda. The Yoon administration was n

Foreign Affairs Dec. 8, 2024

North Korea is widely expected to remain silent amid South Korea's political turbulence, defined by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s survival of an impeachment motion on Saturday, followed by the ruling party’s announcement on Sunday calling for his "orderly early resignation." However, the prospect of Pyongyang exploiting South Korea's perceived political vulnerabilities through provocations cannot be ruled out. If Pyongyang remains tight-lipped, the decision will under

Politics Dec. 8, 2024

South Korea's 20th president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has become the country's third leader to face impeachment proceedings in the National Assembly, following former Presidents Park Geun-hye and Roh Moo-hyun. As Yoon's political future hangs in the balance, the contrasting outcomes of Park and Roh's cases provide a framework for understanding how things might pan out. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and its allied parties plan to bring the impeachment motion against Yoo

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States held their first discussions on Friday since President Yoon Suk Yeol's sudden and short-lived declaration of martial law, as the Biden administration has openly questioned its legitimacy in light of individual rights and liberties and voiced sharp criticism. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed domestic developments following Yoon's martial law declaration and exchanged views

Foreign Affairs Dec. 6, 2024