South Korea’s Opposition Urges Swift Removal of Impeached President

15 December 2024, South Korea, Seoul: The main South Korean opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung speaks at a press conference at the National Assembly, a day after the Assembly passed a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law declaration. Photo: -/YNA/dpa
15 December 2024, South Korea, Seoul: The main South Korean opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung speaks at a press conference at the National Assembly, a day after the Assembly passed a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law declaration. Photo: -/YNA/dpa
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South Korea’s Opposition Urges Swift Removal of Impeached President

15 December 2024, South Korea, Seoul: The main South Korean opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung speaks at a press conference at the National Assembly, a day after the Assembly passed a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law declaration. Photo: -/YNA/dpa
15 December 2024, South Korea, Seoul: The main South Korean opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung speaks at a press conference at the National Assembly, a day after the Assembly passed a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law declaration. Photo: -/YNA/dpa

South Korea's opposition leader urged a top court on Sunday to swiftly formalize the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol and ease the "suffering of the people" after his short-lived martial law decree.

Lawmakers voted on Saturday to remove Yoon from office over his "insurrectionary" suspension of civilian rule, which plunged South Korea into some of its worst political turmoil in years.

Yoon has been suspended while South Korea's Constitutional Court deliberates, with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo serving as interim leader.

The court has 180 days to rule on Yoon's future.

But opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on Sunday urged the judges to "swiftly" remove Yoon from office.

"This is the only way to minimize national turmoil and alleviate the suffering of the people," he said.

"To hold those responsible for this absurd situation accountable and to prevent its recurrence, it is essential to uncover the truth and demand accountability."

An investigation into Yoon's inner circle over last week's martial law declaration has also rumbled on.

On Sunday, prosecutors said they were seeking an arrest warrant for the head of the Army Special Warfare Command Kwak Jong-keun, Yonhap news agency said.

Kwak is accused of sending special forces troops to the country's parliament during the failed martial law bid -- sparking a dramatic confrontation between soldiers and parliamentary staff.

And on Saturday, police arrested Yeo In-hyung, head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, on charges including insurrection.



Russian Cargo Ship Sinks in Mediterranean with 2 Crew Missing

A fisherman casts his fishing line into the Mediterranean Sea from a rocky area along the Beirut coastline on a sweltering hot day in Beirut, Lebanon,  July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A fisherman casts his fishing line into the Mediterranean Sea from a rocky area along the Beirut coastline on a sweltering hot day in Beirut, Lebanon, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
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Russian Cargo Ship Sinks in Mediterranean with 2 Crew Missing

A fisherman casts his fishing line into the Mediterranean Sea from a rocky area along the Beirut coastline on a sweltering hot day in Beirut, Lebanon,  July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A fisherman casts his fishing line into the Mediterranean Sea from a rocky area along the Beirut coastline on a sweltering hot day in Beirut, Lebanon, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A Russian cargo ship called 'Ursa Major' sank in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria and two of its crew are missing, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
The ship went down after an explosion in its engine room and 14 of its 16 crew members have been rescued and brought to Spain, Reuters quoted the ministry as saying in a statement.
LSEG ship tracking data shows the vessel departed from the Russian port of Saint Petersburg on Dec. 11 and was last seen sending a signal at 2204 GMT on Monday between Algeria and Spain.
On leaving Saint Petersburg it had indicated that its next port of call was the Russian port of Vladivostok, not the Syrian port of Tartous which it has called at previously.
The operator and owner is a company called SK-Yug, part of Oboronlogistics, according to LSEG data. Oboronlogistics and SK-Yug declined to comment on the ship's sinking.
Oboronlogistics said in a statement on Dec. 20 that the ship was carrying specialized port cranes due to be installed at the port of Vladivostok as well as parts for new ice-breakers.