South Korean Defense Minister Resigns

SEOUL. South Korean President Yun Suk-Yeol has accepted the resignation of his Defense Minister Kim Yong-Hyun. He accepted Kim’s resignation on Thursday. It is said that it was Kim who suggested Yun to implement martial law. Kim submitted his resignation to Yun saying that he had taken full responsibility for this incident.
Kim is a retired army general. He studied in the same school with Yun. He was seen as a confidant of Yun. During a hearing in September, Kim dismissed opposition allegations that martial law could be imposed to quell domestic dissent, calling it false propaganda.

As the defense minister, Kim took a strong stance against North Korea and tried to strengthen South Korea’s long-term alliance with the United States. The opposition Democratic Party has demanded that Kim be impeached on charges of treason.