Media reported the resignation of South Korea's interior minister

South Korea's Minister of Internal Affairs (MIA) and Security Lee Sangmin has resigned. His decision was approved by the country's President Yun Seok-yol. This was reported on December 8 by the Korean news agency Newsis.

"With President Yoon Seok-yeol's approval, Lee resigned as the minister with the 'longest tenure' after two years and seven months since taking office in May 2022," the publication said.

Lee Sang-min issued a statement on his planned resignation earlier in the day. He said he was failing in his service to the nation and the president, so he was relinquishing his position.

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Earlier in the day, South Korea's prosecutor's office designated Yoon Seok-yeol as a suspect in a case of rebellion against the state system. Before that, the prosecutor's office of the Republic began an investigation into the statement of opposition deputies about treason of the Korean president.

On the eve, December 7, the National Assembly (Parliament) of the Republic of Korea failed to collect the necessary number of votes to impeach the President of the country. It needed 200 parliamentary votes to declare impeachment, and only 195 people voted.

Yun Seok-yol declared martial law in the country on Dec. 3. He cited the threat of power paralysis caused by attempts to conduct impeachment proceedings as the reason for the move. Commander of the emergency regime, Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces Park Ahn-soo noted that until martial law is lifted in the republic, the activities of parliament, political parties and associations are prohibited. Military equipment was brought to the streets of Seoul.

The opposition party of the republic, in turn, demanded the resignation of the head of state and said it intended to charge Yoon Seok-yeol with treason. At the same time, all heads and senior secretaries of the presidential administration of South Korea resigned. In addition, the trade unions of the republic announced a general strike.