South Korea, Japan to hold high-level economic talks amid Yoon's impeachment

Seoul, Dec 19 (IANS) South Korea and Japan will hold high-level economic talks this week to boost cooperation and prepare for the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties, country's foreign ministry said on Thursday.

The 16th South Korea-Japan economic dialogue will take place in Tokyo on Friday, led by Kim Hee-sang, Deputy Foreign Minister for economic affairs and Takeshi Akahori, a senior deputy minister at Japan's foreign ministry, the Seoul ministry said.

"The talks will review the current economic cooperation between South Korea and Japan," a Seoul foreign ministry official said.

"We hope that the two countries will continue to develop their relationship in a future-oriented manner," he said.

They plan to discuss international economic issues, ongoing bilateral cooperation and ways to expand the partnership on the occasion of next year's 60th anniversary of the normalisation of the diplomatic ties, Yonhap news agency reported.

The upcoming dialogue also demonstrates South Korea's ongoing efforts to maintain its international credibility and strengthen economic cooperation with major countries despite recent domestic challenges, the official added.

Earlier on December 14, the South Korea's National Assembly voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched imposition of martial law. An impeachment motion against Yoon passed 204-85, with three abstentions and eight invalid ballots, with all 300 lawmakers casting their ballots.

Yoon's People Power Party (PPP) decided shortly before the proceeding to take part in the vote but Opposed impeachment. The result showed 12 PPP lawmakers broke from their party line to vote in favour of impeachment.

A two-thirds majority was required to approve the motion, with the opposition bloc accounting for 192 of the 300 members of Parliament.

The motion's passage came 11 days after Yoon declared martial law in an announcement that caught the nation by surprise and drew outrage, as troops encircled the National Assembly compound in an apparent attempt to stop lawmakers from repealing the decree.

The martial law order, which was lifted within six hours after the Assembly voted it down, has prompted investigations by the police, the prosecution and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials into whether Yoon staged an insurrection. He is currently banned from leaving the country.

The court has up to 180 days to decide whether to uphold or dismiss Yoon's impeachment, a decision that will unseat or reinstate him, respectively.

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