“It is the cabinet’s duty to manage state affairs stably for the livelihood of the people”
Attends 61st Trade Day ceremony to encourage export companies
Following the declaration and lifting of martial law, the government is focusing on stabilizing state affairs with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (pictured) at the center. With President Yoon Seok-youl not engaging in official external activities, it is analyzed that Prime Minister Han, the second-in-command in state affairs, is playing a pivotal role in stabilizing governance.
On the 5th, Prime Minister Han presided over a meeting of ministers at the government complex in Seoul, emphasizing that “it is the cabinet’s duty to manage state affairs stably for public stability in these nationally grave times.” He expressed the need for a continuous response system to stabilize financial and foreign exchange markets and urged thorough preparation for maintaining law and order and for various disaster responses. This highlights the importance of public officials maintaining their duties unwaveringly despite the post-martial law proclamation situation initiated by President Yoon.
Prime Minister Han also participated in the 61st Trade Day ceremony held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to encourage the domestic trade industry. The annual event previously had President Yoon attending both last year and the year before. At the event, Prime Minister Han remarked, “Today marks exactly 60 years since the ‘1st Export Day’ was held to commemorate $1 billion in exports,” and emphasized that “the government will be a strong support for our traders to freely advance in the global market.”
Amid the aftermath of martial law, there are growing concerns about governmental chaos. The President’s Office’s chief and senior secretaries collectively offered their resignations, and the cabinet followed suit by offering resignations to the Prime Minister. The Democratic Party is pushing for impeachment, believing President Yoon can no longer lead normal state affairs. A government official stated that “Prime Minister Han plans to focus on ensuring smooth state operations by receiving reports from the Prime Minister’s office and various departments, in addition to today’s official schedule.”
Previously, Prime Minister Han also stated, “As the Prime Minister who oversees the cabinet, I take full responsibility for all processes leading to the current situation,” and urged all public officials in every department to fulfill their duties to maintain the nation’s security and the people’s daily lives without disruption. He added, “I will gather wisdom with the cabinet members to serve the people until the very last moment.”