South Korean Interior Minister Lee Sang-min Resigns Amid Martial Law Crisis
Click to start listening
Seoul, Dec 8 (NationPress) South Korean Interior Minister Lee Sang-min has tendered his resignation on Sunday amidst political unrest triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law announcement last week.
Lee, who is considered one of Yoon's closest advisors, made the resignation announcement a day after the primary opposition party put forth an impeachment motion against him, with the voting scheduled for Tuesday, according to reports from Yonhap news agency.
During a parliamentary committee meeting that took place after the martial law was lifted, Lee seemed to defend Yoon's actions, stating that the president executed the martial law while adhering to the constitutional regulations and laws.
In February of the previous year, Lee was suspended from his position following the passage of an impeachment motion by the opposition-controlled National Assembly related to the tragic crowd crush during the 2022 Halloween celebrations in Seoul's Itaewon district, which resulted in 159 fatalities.
In July of last year, the Constitutional Court unanimously dismissed the impeachment motion, promptly reinstating him as a minister.
