South Korea: Prez Yoon replaces defence minister

Seoul: South Korea’s president replaced his defence minister Thursday as opposition parties moved to impeach both men over the stunning yet short-lived imposition of martial law that brought armed troops into Seoul streets.

The main opposition Democratic Party and other small opposition parties submitted a joint motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday over his martial law declaration the previous night.

Martial law lasted about six hours, as the National Assembly quickly voted to overrule the president, forcing his Cabinet to lift it before daybreak Wednesday. On Thursday, Yoon’s office said he decided to replace Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun with Choi Byung Hyuk, a retired four-star general who is South Korea’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho will be the acting minister until Choi assumes the job after a parliamentary hearing.

The hearing is a formality as the president holds the power to appoint ministers outside of the prime minister without the approval of lawmakers.

Yoon’s office didn’t provide any further comments by him.