North Korea Stays Silent on Impeachment of South Korean President
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Seoul, Dec 15 (NationPress) North Korea's state-run media refrained from commenting on the impeachment of South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol this Sunday, which stands in stark contrast to its rapid coverage of the 2016 impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye.
The National Assembly approved an impeachment motion against Yoon on Saturday due to his mishandling of the martial law declaration on December 3, leading to the suspension of his presidential duties.
As of 9 a.m., none of North Korea's state-run media outlets, including the Rodong Sinmun, the main newspaper, and the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), had released any information regarding Yoon's impeachment.
In December 2016, following the impeachment of Park on December 9, North Korea's propaganda outlet Uriminzokkiri reported the news merely four hours after the National Assembly's impeachment motion was passed. The site later published a KCNA article on her impeachment that same evening, as noted by the Yonhap news agency.
This apparent silence regarding Yoon's impeachment may indicate North Korea's intention to distance itself from the South, consistent with its characterization of inter-Korean relations as those between two 'hostile' nations.
North Korean media also chose to remain quiet about Yoon's earlier declaration of martial law for nearly a week before finally reporting on it on December 11.
The impeachment motion against Yoon was approved with a vote of 204-85 on Saturday, with three abstentions and eight invalid ballots, after all 300 assembly members cast their votes.
The motion's approval came just 11 days after Yoon declared martial law, an announcement that surprised the nation and incited public outrage, especially as troops surrounded the National Assembly compound in what seemed to be an attempt to prevent lawmakers from repealing the decree.
The martial law order was lifted within six hours after the Assembly voted against it, prompting investigations by the police, prosecution, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials to determine whether Yoon instigated an insurrection. He is currently prohibited from leaving the country.
In a televised address from his home, Yoon stated he is 'pausing momentarily' but will not abandon the journey he has begun with the people toward a better future.
“I will never give up,” he asserted. “I will accept all criticism, encouragement, and support directed at me and will do my utmost for the nation until the very end.”
