Young Koreans lead vibrant, energetic new era of protests

Participants of a rally demanding the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol display their protest items in Yeouido, Seoul, on Dec. 14, 2024. AJP Im Yoon-seo SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Singing and dancing with K-pop light sticks became one of the most captivating scenes at rallies against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Yeouido, western Seoul, where the National Assembly is located. The purpose of these rallies was reminiscent of the 2016 demonstrations that called for the impe

December 15, 2024

Bill proposed to halt salary, perks for Yoon Suk Yeol

SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - An opposition lawmaker has introduced a bill to suspend salary payments and restrict privileges for public officials, including the president, whose duties are halted following impeachment. Rep. Park Yong-gap of the Democratic Party proposed amendments to the National Public Service Act and the Passport Act on Friday. The revisions would immediately suspend all salary payments to public officials once they are impeached by the National Assembly. The b

December 15, 2024

North Korea silent on Yoon's impeachment

SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - North Korea has remained silent on the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, a striking contrast to its quick response to similar political upheavals in the past. As of Sunday morning, state-controlled media outlets, including the Korean Central News Agency and the Workers’ Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun, had made no mention of Yoon’s impeachment. This silence differs from Pyongyang’s reaction to the impeachment of form

December 15, 2024

Russian envoy expresses hope for improved ties following Yoon's impeachment

SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Russian Ambassador to Seoul Georgy Zinoviev said after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached on Saturday that the current political turmoil in South Korea could "rather contribute" to the relationship between the two countries. Following the impeachment, the Russian Embassy in Seoul shared the ambassador's message on its Facebook page. “I hope that the dramatic events in Korean domestic politics will ultimately not interf

December 15, 2024

Calls for immediate arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol growing louder

SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - The impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to accelerate investigations into the December 3 martial law declaration, an event widely condemned by legal experts as unconstitutional and illegal at every stage. The prosecution’s special probe team, led by Park Se-hyun, has intensified efforts to reconstruct the full sequence of events surrounding the martial law. Investigators are focusing on how troops were deployed to the National Assemb

December 15, 2024

Acting President Han reassures US on alliance in call with Biden

SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Acting President Han Duck-soo spoke by phone with President Biden on Sunday, pledging to uphold and strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance in the wake of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment, Han’s office said. The conversation came a day after Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly over his controversial imposition of martial law on December 3. Han, who has assumed presidential duties, assured Biden of continuity in South Korea&rs

December 15, 2024

Acting president vows no leadership vacuum after Yoon's impeachment

SEOUL, December 14 (AJP) - South Korea's Acting President Han Duck-soo pledged Saturday to prevent any disruption in government operations following President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment. "What's most important now is that there must not be even the slightest vacuum in state affairs," Han said in a nationally televised address from the government complex in Seoul. Han became acting president after parliament voted to impeach Yoon earlier in the day. "

December 14, 2024

Top ruling party officials quit after Yoon's impeachment

SEOUL, December 14 (AJP) – Five top officials of South Korea's ruling People Power Party resigned Saturday, effectively dissolving the leadership under party chief Han Dong-hoon following President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment. The conservative ruling party has been divided over its response to Yoon's failed martial law declaration last week and subsequent impeachment. The mass resignation included Supreme Council members Kim Jae-won, Kim Min-jeon and In Yo-han,

December 14, 2024

Jubilant crowds hail Yoon's impeachment

SEOUL, December 14 (AJP) - Hundreds of thousands of protesters cheered as President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached in a parliamentary vote at the National Assembly in Seoul on Saturday. Just several hours before the vote on a fresh motion to impeach Yoon, various areas in front of the Assembly and nearby locations were packed with people bundling up in padded coats and with hand warmers to brave the cold, waving light sticks and holding signs calling for Yoon's ouster. As lawmak

December 14, 2024

Yoon's impeachment creates diplomatic uncertainty

SEOUL, December 14 (AJP) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the National Assembly on Saturday, creating an immediate diplomatic vacuum as the country faces critical challenges in managing its alliance with the United States under a second Trump administration. The impeachment automatically suspended Yoon's powers and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will serve as acting president. But his interim status may limit his ability to engage in substantive diplomatic ne

December 14, 2024