South Korea's Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun has resigned from his position after taking responsibility for ordering soldiers to enact martial law. This decision came after President Yoon Suk Yeol attempted to implement martial law, leading to a statement released by Kim late Wednesday.
In his statement, Kim acknowledged that all soldiers who were involved in the enforcement of emergency martial law did so under his orders. He expressed regret for the concerns and confusion caused to the people by the martial law deployment.
Kim emphasized that while martial law has been lifted and daily life is returning to normal for the people, the local political and security situations remain unsettled. He assured that the Ministry of Defense would handle these issues with strictness and stability.
President Yoon has not made any public statements since the martial law declaration. Following the reversal of his decision in the early hours of Wednesday, he reiterated his frustration with the opposition party, accusing them of hindering the government's actions.