South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has accepted the resignation of Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun and chosen Choi Byung-hyuk, the current ambassador to Saudi Arabia, as his new defence minister. This change comes after Yoon’s unsuccessful attempt to declare martial law, which he quickly took back after facing strong opposition.
Kim Yong-hyun, who resigned earlier, reportedly advised Yoon to consider martial law, which led to uproar among opposition lawmakers. They claimed this extreme measure was aimed at stopping efforts to impeach important government officials. Yoon’s chief of staff praised Choi as someone who is reliable and dedicated to his work.
This martial law issue is just one of the many problems surrounding Yoon’s presidency. He has received lots of criticism for various mistakes, including a scandal involving his wife, First Lady Kim Keon Hee. She was seen in secret videos accepting an expensive Dior handbag, which sparked accusations she was out of touch with everyday people.
Additionally, the First Lady has been accused of tax evasion, manipulating stock prices, and falsely inflating her resume, causing the public to lose more trust in Yoon’s government. Earlier this year, Yoon also faced backlash for saying spring onions were reasonably priced at a government-supported market, a comment that seemed insensitive during rising inflation. One opposition leader even said, “The president could be undone by a spring onion.”
Yoon’s popularity has remained low since his narrow election win, where he had the smallest margin in South Korean history at just 0.7%. His approval ratings have been between 30% and 40%, with many people considering his leadership to be poor.
Moreover, First Lady Kim Keon Hee is said to be even less popular than Yoon, with accusations of plagiarism in her university work and stock market manipulation hanging over her.
With tensions rising between Yoon and the opposition-controlled parliament, the main opposition Democratic Party has introduced a motion to impeach him, calling the martial law attempt a serious crime. This vote could happen as soon as Friday and shows how divided the political atmosphere has become. While Yoon’s party is trying to protect him, discontent among the public is growing.
Yoon’s approval ratings keep dropping, recently falling below 20%. Many feel that his decisions are only making things worse and that he seems isolated and threatened. As the impeachment motion approaches and public anger rises, the important question is whether Yoon can bounce back from these troubles or if his presidency is facing its end.
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