(LEAD) Yoon accepts defense minister's resignation amid martial law chaos

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By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol has accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, the presidential office said Thursday, amid growing controversy surrounding his role in Yoon's aborted martial law declaration.

Kim, who proposed the martial law declaration to Yoon, offered to step down Wednesday, after Yoon abruptly declared martial law Tuesday night and lifted the decree hours later following the National Assembly's passage of a resolution to overturn it.

Yoon has nominated Choi Byung-hyuk, a retired four-star Army general currently serving as South Korea's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, to succeed Kim, Chung Jin-suk, Yoon's chief of staff, said in a press briefing.

Chung introduced Choi, who served as deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command from 2019-2020, as a seasoned military professional with broad understanding of national security and extensive field experience.

The nominee is considered to be a suitable candidate to "fulfill the military's core responsibilities, including maintaining a firm readiness posture based on the robust South Korea-U.S. alliance," Chung said.

In South Korea, all ministers are subject to a parliamentary confirmation process, but only the prime minister's appointment requires parliamentary approval.

Yoon's surprise declaration of martial law caught the United States off guard, raising concerns over the alliance at a time of growing security threats from North Korea amid its deepening military ties with Russia.

U.S. officials welcomed Yoon's lifting of the martial law and reaffirmed their commitment to the alliance with South Korea.

ejkim@yna.co.kr
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