High-Level Economic Discussions Scheduled Between South Korea and Japan Amidst Yoon's Impeachment
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Seoul, Dec 19 (NationPress) South Korea and Japan are preparing to conduct high-level economic discussions this week to enhance bilateral cooperation and mark the occasion of the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, as reported by the foreign ministry on Thursday.
The 16th South Korea-Japan economic dialogue is scheduled to be held in Tokyo on Friday, with Kim Hee-sang, the Deputy Foreign Minister for economic affairs, and Takeshi Akahori, a senior deputy minister from Japan's foreign ministry, leading the talks, according to the Seoul ministry.
"The discussions will evaluate the existing economic collaboration between South Korea and Japan," remarked an official from the Seoul foreign ministry.
"We anticipate that the two nations will continue to cultivate their relationship in a future-oriented manner," the official added.
The agenda includes deliberations on international economic matters, ongoing bilateral cooperation, and strategies to enhance the partnership as they approach next year's 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalization, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
This forthcoming dialogue also reflects South Korea's persistent endeavors to uphold its international credibility and bolster economic cooperation with key nations, despite facing recent domestic challenges, according to the official.
On December 14, the South Korea's National Assembly voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol due to his mishandling of martial law implementation. The impeachment motion passed with a vote of 204-85, alongside three abstentions and eight invalid ballots, with all 300 lawmakers participating.
The People Power Party (PPP) of Yoon opted to vote shortly before the proceedings, although they opposed the impeachment. The results indicated that 12 PPP lawmakers deviated from their party stance to support impeachment.
A two-thirds majority was necessary for the motion's approval, with the opposition holding 192 of the 300 parliamentary seats.
The motion's success came just 11 days after Yoon unexpectedly declared martial law, which sparked national outrage and saw troops surrounding the National Assembly compound in a bid to prevent lawmakers from repealing the decree.
The martial law order was rescinded within six hours after the Assembly's vote against it, prompting investigations by the police, prosecution, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials into whether Yoon instigated an insurrection. He is currently prohibited from leaving the country.
The court has a duration of up to 180 days to determine whether to uphold or dismiss Yoon's impeachment, a ruling that will either remove him from office or reinstate him accordingly.
