DP calls for dismissal of foreign minister after Yoon's hot mic incident

All News 13:58 September 26, 2022

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) will introduce a motion for the dismissal of Foreign Minister Park Jin unless he is sacked immediately for mishandling President Yoon Suk-yeol's latest overseas trip marred by Yoon's use of foul language, the party's floor leader said Monday.

"If President Yoon does not make a decision by today, we will introduce a motion tomorrow recommending the dismissal of the foreign minister in order to restore people's trust and remedy foreign policy," Rep. Park Hong-geun said during a meeting of the party's Supreme Council.

Park also called for the replacement of National Security Adviser Kim Sung-han, the first deputy director of the National Security Office Kim Tae-hyo and senior press secretary Kim Eun-hye.

The DP has denounced Yoon's three-nation trip as a "diplomatic disaster."

The criticism was heavily focused on Yoon's private remarks to aids caught on a hot mic during a trip to New York on Wednesday.

Though the recording of Yoon's remarks was not clear due to noise, many thought that he used foul language while talking about U.S. Congress and U.S. President Joe Biden.

But Yoon's office rejected the claim, saying he was referring to South Korea's opposition-controlled National Assembly without mentioning U.S. Congress or Biden. Yoon's ruling People Power Party also claimed people misheard Yoon's remarks because the video had a subtitle misrepresenting them.

Earlier Monday, Yoon said untrue media reports of his remarks damaged South Korea's alliance with the United States.

The DP slammed Yoon for failing to apologize for his remarks.

"All people expected a sincere apology from the president, but there was no public apology after all," Park said, accusing Yoon of "hiding the truth" and "intimidating the media." "A political act of threatening the people and the media is a grave challenge against the democracy."