South Korea

A day after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced martial law in the country, Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun took responsibility for ordering soldiers to enact the law.

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Kim resigned after the South Korean president attempted to implement martial law. On Wednesday, Kim released a statement, taking 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 a reporter, CNN reported. 

“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 promised that the ministry will take such situation “very strictly” and “stably manage” pending issues.

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Also read: South Korea martial law timeline: Yoon's announcement, protests, U-turn - How events unfolded

Yoon's announcement led to protests and rallies by opposition party leaders at the South Korean parliament. Following this, helicopters were seen landing on the building's roof and troops entered the assembly, seemingly in a bid to block lawmakers from getting inside.

South Korea's First Lady Kim Keon-Hee also came under the limelight after the President's move, as she has also faced several allegations and multiple controversies revolving around her. 

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Who is Kim Keon Hee?

South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee, who is known for her high-profile lifestyle, was born in Yangpyeong, as Kim Myeong-sin. Later, she changed her name to Kim-Keon Hee in 2008. 

Her mother, Choi Eun-sun, was acquitted of charges of running an elderly care hospital from 2013 to 2015 without a medical license. She is currently serving a one-year sentence for real estate fraud after she was convicted in 2023. 

Kim Keon-hee has been surrounded by various controversies in the past. In 2019, there were allegations against her of not paying taxes. She was also under investigation for taking kickbacks for hosting art exhibitions.

In 2021, she was found to be using inaccuracies in her resume while she applied for teaching positions between 2007-2013. However, she publicly apologised later. 

Watch | South Korea Turmoil: South Korean President Abandons Martial Law Attempt

The South Korean first lady was also caught in another controversy for alleged involvement in a 63.6 billion won stock manipulation scheme related to Deutsche Motors. She, however, was not indicted due to a lack of sufficient evidence against her. 

She is often referred to as "Kim Keon-hee risk", which means that she can harm her husband's political reputation due to these controversies. 

Moreover, in 2022, Korean-American pastor Choi Jae-young secretly filmed Kim, while she was accepting a 3 million won Christian Dior bag, which sparked public outrage. The "Dior bag scandal" put her in the spotlight as South Korea’s anti-graft laws prohibit public officials and their spouses from accepting gifts worth more than $750 related to their official duties. 

There are also some accusations that Kim and President Yoon had improper influence over the ruling People Power Party to choose candidates to run for a parliamentary by-election in 2022. 

(With inputs from agencies)