The Democratic Party of Korea rejected the ruling People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon’s proposal that his party and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would fill in while President Yoon Suk Yeol is phased out of office. In a joint address to the nation Sunday, Han said his party and the prime minister would lead the running of the country as the president steps down in an orderly transition of power. Rep. Kim Min-seok, the No. 2 of the Democratic Party, said the ruling party proposal to take

Politics Dec. 8, 2024

The National Assembly vote on whether to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol was left open for hours on Saturday, as 300 members of the parliament gathered for a rare weekend plenary session. The bill to impeach Yoon was put to vote four days after South Korea watched in shock as armed soldiers broke into the Assembly grounds late Tuesday, about an hour after the president declared martial law. In order to pass, the Democratic Party of Korea-led bill needed just eight votes from the ruling People Po

Politics Dec. 7, 2024

Hong Jang-won, the former first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, claims he was snubbed when he informed Cho Tae-yong, the NIS director, that President Yoon Suk Yeol asked for the spy agency to cooperate with the military in arresting political leaders on the night of martial law. Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Park Sun-won on Saturday shared with reporters the text of a KakaoTalk messenger conversation he had with Hong earlier the same day, in which the former NIS deputy dir

Politics Dec. 7, 2024

Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the ruling People Power Party, said Saturday an early end to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s term was “unavoidable,” but he did not specifically mention impeachment. Speaking to reporters immediately after Yoon’s address to the nation at 10 a.m., Han said the president was “in a situation where he is unable to perform his normal duties as a president.” “An early end to the president’s term appears unavoidable,” he said.

Politics Dec. 7, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday apologized to the South Korean people for the public concern he caused by declaring martial law. In a televised address to the nation, he said he would entrust the running of the country to the ruling party and the government. Yoon also promised that there would not be another declaration of martial law. "I imposed martial law at 11 p.m. on Dec. 3 and ordered troops to leave and lifted it in a Cabinet meeting at around 1 a.m. Wednesday after the parliamen

Politics Dec. 7, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol will deliver an address to the nation at 10 a.m. Saturday, four days after he declared martial law Tuesday.

Politics Dec. 7, 2024

Three commanders accused of direct involvement in President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law have been suspended from active duty as of 4 p.m. Friday, the Ministry of National Defense said. They are: Defense Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In-hyung, Special Warfare Commander Kwak Jong-geun and Capital Defense Commander Lee Jin-woo. The Defense Ministry said the commanders have been put on standby for assignment. The Defense Ministry also asked the Ministry of Justice to ban Yeo

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

Cho Tae-yong, the director of the National Intelligence Service, said President Yoon Suk Yeol did not give the spy agency any orders about arresting politicians. Cho denied claims raised by Hong Jang-won, the NIS deputy director, who said the president told him to arrest politicians. “I would like to make it very clear that the president has not asked the NIS director to arrest politicians. The president has not given orders for an arrest before or after the martial law declaration,”

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

National Intelligence Service agents have been banned from entering National Assembly buildings in the aftermath of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration. Several sources told The Korea Herald on Friday the National Assembly Secretariat has banned NIS agents from accessing parliament buildings starting Wednesday, along with the police and the Ministry of National Defense officials. The entry passes for NIS agents have been suspended accordingly, sources said. The decision to ba

한국어판 Dec. 6, 2024

Senior Ministry of National Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff officials said Friday the military would defy any further attempts to enact martial law, should President Yoon Suk Yeol decide to declare it a second time. Earlier reports that the military was preparing for another declaration of martial law are “completely false,” a senior Defense Ministry official said. “If there ever is a call for declaring martial law once again, the Defense Ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staf

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

National Intelligence Service agents have been suspended from entering National Assembly buildings after troops broke in following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration. Several sources told The Korea Herald on Friday the National Assembly Secretariat has banned NIS agents from accessing parliament buildings starting Wednesday, along with the police and the Ministry of National Defense officials. The entry passes for NIS agents have been suspended accordingly, sources said. The

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

[코리아헤럴드=김아린 기자] 국회사무처가 국가정보원 직원의 국회 청사 출입을 전면 금지한 것으로 확인됐다. 6일 복수의 국회 관계자에 따르면 국회사무처는 비상계엄 이후 국정원 직원의 국회 청사 출입을 금지시켰다. 이는 지난 3일 계엄군의 국회 진입에 따른 후속 조치로 전해졌다. 이에 따라 국정원 국회 파견관의 국회 출입증도 정지됐다. 한 국회 관계자는 국정원의 국회 출입 금지 조치는 “지난 4일 국회사무처에서 국방부 직원, 경찰 등에 대해 국회 청사 출입을 금지하면서 함께 이뤄진 조치”라고 설명했다. 이를 두고 국회 정보위원회 소속인 김병기 더불어민주당 의원은 “국정원은 정보를 수집하는 곳이니 당연한 조치”라고 6일 코리아헤럴드에 말했다. 앞서 김민기 국회사무총장은 ‘비상계엄 관련 언론 브리핑’을 열고 이달 4일부터 국방부 직원, 경찰 등의 국회 청사 출입을 전면 금지 조치했다고 밝혔다. 김 총장은 “국회의원

한국어판 Dec. 6, 2024

Rep. Cho Kyung-tae became the first from the ruling People Power Party to back removing President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, after Han Dong-hoon, the party chair, spoke in support of impeachment earlier Friday. The six-time lawmaker told reporters on this day Yoon declaring martial law was “unconstitutional and illegal,” and that the impeachment bill against the president should be put to vote as soon as possible. Han said Yoon “needs to be stopped from exercising his president

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

Ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon said Friday morning President Yoon Suk Yeol should no longer be allowed to exercise his presidential powers. Han called an emergency meeting of People Power Party leadership that day, and said he has damning evidence Yoon mobilized troops in a bid to arrest politicians over the hours martial law was still in effect. “I learned last night the president ordered the defense counterintelligence commander (Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung) to arrest major political leader

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

South Korean Army chief of staff told lawmakers Thursday he did not know of President Yoon Suk Yeol's plan to impose martial law before the president's televised address to the nation late Tuesday. Gen. Park An-su was named martial law commander in the military decree that came shortly after the president’s announcement. Park said he realized he would be assuming the role of martial law commander at the meeting of key commanders that followed. “The defense minister said at

Politics Dec. 5, 2024