South Korea: Finance Minister Choi resigns after parliament takes up impeachment motion

Seoul, May 1 (IANS) South Korea's Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok resigned as National Assembly was set to vote on a motion to impeach him.

"I apologise to the people that I am unable to continue my duties amid grave internal and external economic conditions," Choi said in a statement released by the Finance Ministry.

Outgoing acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is widely expected to run in the upcoming presidential election in June, immediately accepted Choi's resignation.

Following Choi's resignation, the National Assembly halted proceedings on the impeachment motion, Yonhap news agency reported.

South Korea has seen a string of temporary leadership changes in recent months, triggered by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's imposition of martial law in December and his removal from office on April 4.

Choi had initially stepped into the interim presidential role on December 27, after acting President Han was impeached by the Democratic Party (DP)-controlled National Assembly.

The latest impeachment motion, led by the DP, accused Choi of delaying the appointment of the ninth justice to the Constitutional Court, among other allegations.

Choi had been set to again resume the interim leadership role at midnight Thursday following Han's resignation.

Earlier in the day, South Korean prosecutors said that they had indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol for abuse of power over his failed martial law bid, marking the latest indictment against the ousted leader who is undergoing an insurrection trial.

The prosecution's special team investigating the case said Yoon was indicted without physical detention for allegedly abusing his authority and obstructing the exercise of rights as he ordered soldiers and police to block the National Assembly on December 3 last year over his botched martial law decree.

The new indictment comes about three months after Yoon was first indicted on January 26 on charges of leading an insurrection -- an offence not protected under the constitutional immunity granted to sitting Presidents.

At that time, Yoon became the first sitting President in South Korea's history to be indicted under detention.

Prosecutors had initially refrained from including the charge due to his presidential immunity, but decided to indict him for abuse of power after Yoon was removed from office by the Constitutional Court early last month.

--IANS

int/jk/vd