Senior aides of Yoon Suk Yeol have offered to resign after two new judges were named to a court set to decide the impeached president’s fate.
An arrest warrant has been issued to detain Mr Yoon for questioning over his botched attempt to impose martial law last month after the president ignored multiple summons to answer charges of insurrection and abuse of power.
Acting president Choi Sang Mok on Tuesday approved two new judges for the Constitutional Court, which is set to rule on the validity of Mr Yoon’s impeachment by the National Assembly. The nine-judge court had three seats vacant.
If at least six of the judges rule to uphold the parliamentary decision, Mr Yoon will be removed from power.
After Mr Choi appointed the new judges, Mr Yoon’s chief of staff, policy chief, national security advisor, and special advisor on foreign affairs and security gave their resignations, as did all other senior secretaries, the president’s office said in a statement.
Mr Choi said he would not accept their resignations as the priority now was to focus on improving the economy and stabilising state affairs, his office said.
The aides had repeatedly asked to step down in the wake of Mr Yoon’s shortlived attempt to declare martial law on 3 December, but their resignations were not accepted.
Following the judicial appointments on Tuesday, the presidential office expressed regret that Mr Choi had exceeded his authority as the interim leader, the state news agency Yonhap reported.
A South Korean official told the Reuters news agency that the senior secretaries had been assisting Mr Choi since he took over as the acting president. Two other officials said the aides didn’t participate in day-to-day government operations, but were required to report to Mr Choi and attend meetings.
Mr Choi, the finance minister, assumed the position of acting president on Friday, after the parliament impeached prime minister Han Duck Soo, who had been acting president since 14 December. Mr Han’s impeachment in turn was prompted by his refusal to appoint three judges nominated by the National Assembly to fill the vacancies on the Constitutional Court.
Additional inputs by agencies.
