South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed a new defense minister after accepting the resignation of Kim Yong-hyun, who stepped down following the opposition’s submission of impeachment motions against both of them.
The presidential office said in a statement that Yoon named Choi Byung-hyuk, ambassador to Saudi Arabia, to replace Kim. Kim earlier offered his resignation.
The main opposition party said Wednesday it would pursue charges of treason against Yoon and Kim, alleging that the short-lived declaration of martial law on Tuesday was illegal. Local media said Yoon may deliver another national address as early as Thursday.
Yoon’s surprise gamble on Tuesday night to assert his authority in response to continued deadlock blindsided, the nation, his own People Power Party, and global allies including the US.
While ruling People Power Party lawmakers voted with the opposition to reject Yoon’s martial law order, their support will likely be more difficult to secure in a vote on whether to start impeachment proceedings.
According to Yonhap, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon said he would stop the parliament from passing the impeachment motion and seek to remove Yoon from the PPP.
Lawmakers will have to wait at least 24 hours before voting on the impeachment motion, which has a 72-hour deadline. This could potentially extend the political drama into the weekend. A two-thirds majority is needed to approve the impeachment, meaning the opposition must secure 200 votes, requiring support from several ruling party members.