South Korean defense minister takes responsibility for actions of military
South Korea’s Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun has taken responsibility for ordering soldiers to enact martial law.
Kim resigned after President Yoon Suk Yeol attempted to implement martial law, and in a statement released late Wednesday, he took responsibility for deploying the military.
“All soldiers who performed their duties in relation to the emergency martial law was at the order of the minister, and all responsibilities lie within myself,” Kim said in a text message sent to reporters.
In the same text, Kim said he feels sorry for “causing concerns and confusion to the people” regarding the martial law.
“Martial law has been lifted and the people are recovering daily lives, but local political and security situations are not at ease,” Kim said as he vowed the ministry will take such situation “very strictly” and “stably manage” pending issues.
Yoon has not spoken in public since the martial law declaration in a surprise announcement late Tuesday night local time. When the president backtracked on his efforts in the early hours of Wednesday, he reiterated his criticism of the opposition party, saying it was frustrating the moves of his government in a statement.
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