Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, acting president, said on the 14th regarding the passage of the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol in the National Assembly plenary session, resulting in serving as acting president, "As a person responsible for state affairs, I deeply feel responsibility for this unfortunate situation, and I humbly apologize to the citizens."
Acting President Han stated at an emergency interim cabinet meeting convened around 8 p.m. at the Government Complex Seoul that "the most important mission at this moment is to quickly stabilize the confusion in state affairs and return precious daily life to the citizens." Following the passage of the impeachment, Acting President Han will take over President Yoon's duties starting this day.
Acting President Han said, "All cabinet members should show a responsible demeanor to the citizens without any wavering in their respective positions," and "The more difficult the nation is, the public service community should be at the center and navigate through the crisis. I hope all public servants will fulfill their 'responsibilities' in their 'places' without any agitation and work together for the stability of state affairs."
He emphasized that "the most important thing is to establish a firm security posture and demonstrate to the international community that Korea’s system operates normally within the solid principles of democracy and the rule of law," requesting the military to "deeply recognize the gravity of the current situation, establish a joint defense posture under close cooperation between Korea and the U.S., and further strengthen the surveillance and alert posture against North Korean provocations."
He further added, “With the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the center, the entire cabinet should strengthen trust with the U.S., Korea-U.S.-Japan, and allied countries, and make every effort to dispel concerns in the international community."
Acting President Han said, "Despite various uncertainties, our economy, including the financial and foreign exchange markets, is gradually stabilizing. Major international credit rating agencies evaluate that our country's credit rating remains stable despite recent political situations," adding, "However, it is a situation where we cannot let our guard down. Ministries, centered on the deputy prime minister of the economy, should monitor the economic situation in real-time and swiftly and boldly implement prepared measures as necessary." He also said, "So that corporations do not worry, thoroughly review and implement countermeasures prepared for the launch of the Trump administration once again."
He continued, "There are growing concerns that the economic sentiment may further shrink and domestic demand could stagnate for a long time due to the current situation," urging, "Each ministry should implement announced policies like 'small business and self-employed measures' without any issue, and proactively consider additional measures under the responsibility of the Minister." He also noted, "The tourism and distribution industry is also greatly concerned," and called for "the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to actively cooperate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and others to promote Korea as a safe country to visit to the international community and actively engage in attracting foreign tourists."
Regarding social ministries like the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Interior and Safety, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, he instructed, "Please make every effort to ensure that citizens face no anxiety and difficulties in their daily lives by ensuring public order and that systems in safety, education, and healthcare operate without any issues."
Acting President Han said, "Dear citizens, the entire world is watching closely how Korea will navigate this crisis," adding, "Our nation has upheld democracy and the rule of law in any crisis. We believe that we will certainly overcome this difficulty with the mature civic consciousness of our wonderful citizens and the united efforts of the government and both ruling and opposition parties." He emphasized, "The government will focus all its efforts on overcoming the crisis with the public and national interest in mind."