[앵커]
Sri Lanka’s President Rajapaksa has reportedly announced his resignation after anti-government protests have reached an extreme.
Sri Lanka, in a state of bankruptcy, is experiencing extreme chaos, with protesters breaking into the presidential palace and setting the prime minister’s residence on fire.
Reporter Lee Sang-soon on the sidewalk.
[기자]
Thousands of anti-government protesters surrounded the Oval Office of the President of Sri Lanka.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was evacuated.
Demonstrators who broke into the virtually defenseless office building took selfies and jumped into the swimming pool.
[차누카 자야수리야 / 회사원 : 나라 전체가 받는 압박을 풀려고 사람들이 여기 온 겁니다. 여기 사치품들을 보니 이 사람들이 나라를 위해 일할 시간이 없었던 건 분명합니다.]
At the same time, protesters stormed into Prime Minister Wickremesinghe’s house and set fire to it.
The worst economic hardship, where even daily necessities are difficult to obtain, has caused such extreme chaos.
[산자야 티라카라트나 / 대학생 : 이 나라에서 살기가 힘듭니다. 능력이 없으면 나라를 정상 궤도에 올려놓을 수 있는 사람한테 넘겨야 합니다.]
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will remain in office until 2024.
Through the Speaker of the State Council of Sri Lanka, I conveyed my intention to step down as president on the 13th.
Until recently, the Rajapaksa family has been the target of anger as they have held two axes of power: the president and the prime minister.
Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa took over as prime minister shortly thereafter, but resigned in early May, and his younger brother, President Gotabaya, remains in office.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe also announced his resignation ahead of President Rajapaksa, but Sri Lanka is unlikely to regain stability right away.
This is because the main tourism industry has collapsed and the government’s fiscal policy failure has led to extreme inflation.
The Korean embassy in Ri Lanka and the Korean community are preparing for emergencies by holding an emergency safety measure meeting and requesting refraining from going out.
This is YTN Lee Sang-soon.
YTN Lee Sang-soon (sslee@ytn.co.kr)
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