Mr. Lee resigned after being impeached by the Korean opposition party
Yonhap news agency reported on December 8 that South Korean Interior Minister Lee Sang-min submitted his resignation amid political turmoil after President Yoon Suk Yeol controversially declared martial law.
South Korea’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said President Yoon accepted Mr. Lee’s resignation. Mr. Lee, one of President Yoon’s close assistants, submitted his resignation after being impeached by the opposition Democratic Party.
During a parliamentary committee session after the lifting of martial law, Mr. Lee seemed to defend Mr. Yoon, saying that the president enacted martial law while following the constitutional and legal process.
Meanwhile, Mr. Yoon’s acceptance of the resignation may cause more criticism because this is considered an exercise of presidential power, contrary to the previous statement of the leader of the Power party. People’s Committee (PPP) that he will no longer participate in running state affairs until he leaves “early and orderly”.
In February last year, Mr. Lee was suspended from work after the opposition-controlled South Korean National Assembly passed a move to impeach him, following a 2022 Halloween stampede in the Itaewon district in Seoul that caused 159 people died.
In July, the Korean Constitutional Court decided to reinstate Mr. Lee.
In another development, Korean opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung on December 8 accused the PPP and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo of “destroying the constitutional order”, after the PPP and Mr. Han announced they would jointly govern the country. state affairs management.
Mr. Lee criticized the PPP and accused the party of “abetting” the president’s actions in declaring martial law.
Earlier on the same day, Prime Minister Han and PPP leader Han Dong-hoon held a joint press conference, saying that Mr. Yoon would not participate in state affairs, including diplomacy, even before his departure. At the same time, Prime Minister Han will be in charge until Mr. Yoon withdraws.
