North Korea Calls President Yoon ‘Ringleader of Insurrection’ After Impeachment Vote

North Korea broke its silence on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment just two days after the motion passed, starkly contrasting their reticence on the state of emergency.

Rodong Sinmun, North Korea’s state-run newspaper, reported on Monday that the National Assembly had voted on the impeachment motion against Yoon on Saturday, with 204 votes in favor and 85 against.

The newspaper noted that a previous impeachment vote on December 7 had been thwarted when the People Power Party members staged a walkout.

It criticized Yoon by stating: “Yoon, the puppet, staged a fraudulent act on December 12 by issuing a statement fabricated with lies and distortions. He attempted to shift the responsibility for the reckless imposition of martial law onto the opposition and alleged external threats. Furthermore, by insulting the widespread public impeachment movement as a frenzy, he has provoked even greater backlash and outrage across the political and social spheres.”

Rodong Sinmun stated that Saturday’s successful impeachment vote suspended Yoon’s presidential powers. The Constitutional Court is now tasked with a final ruling on his impeachment.

The newspaper escalated its rhetoric against the president, branding him the “ringleader of insurrection.” It reported on the widening investigation into Yoon and his alleged co-conspirators, noting the arrests of key figures, including the Defense Minister and police chiefs, and the suspension of military leaders appointed during the state of emergency.

Rodong Sinmun‘s sixth page, dedicated to international affairs, featured the impeachment news. This reflects North Korea’s swift reporting of former President Park Geun Hye’s impeachment in December 2016, which was also covered on the day the motion passed.