Senior aides to South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol volunteered to resign en masse on Wednesday, a day after his office expressed remorse over acting President Choi Sang-mok’s appointment of two new justices to a court that will decide Yoon’s fate.
Yoon’s chief of staff, policy chief, national security advisor, and special adviser on foreign affairs and security, as well as all other top secretaries, resigned, according to his office, without providing any details.
Choi stated that he would not accept their resignation because the objective at this time was to improve the economy and stabilise state affairs.
The aides had frequently stated their intention to retire in the aftermath of Yoon’s failed bid to impose martial law on December 3, but their resignations were not accepted, according to a presidential official who declined to be identified due to political sensitivities.
According to the person, the senior secretaries have been aiding Choi since his appointment as acting president. Two other sources said the aides are not involved in day-to-day government activities, but must report to Choi and attend meetings as needed.
The aides’ latest offer came a day after Choi’s surprise approval to fill two vacancies on the Constitutional Court handling the impeachment trial against Yoon.
It brought the total number of justices to eight on the nine-member court. Any decision in the Yoon case will require the agreement of at least six judges.
Yoon’s ruling People Power Party slammed Choi’s decision as “dogmatic” and lacking adequate consultations.
Finance Minister Choi took over as acting president on Friday following the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who had served as acting president since Yoon’s suspension from power on December 14.
Yoon is being investigated on suspicions that he led an insurrection, and a Seoul district court approved his arrest on Tuesday, the first for a sitting president.
