Senior Aides of Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol Tender Resignations Following Key Judicial Appointments
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Seoul, Jan 1 (NationPress) Senior aides to the impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, such as his chief of staff, extended offers to resign on Wednesday, just a day after acting President Choi Sang-mok appointed two justices to the Constitutional Court.
The officials who indicated their willingness to resign include Chung Jin-suk, the presidential chief of staff; Shin Won-sik, the National Security Adviser; Sung Tae-yoon, the chief of staff for policy; and Chang Ho-jin, a foreign policy adviser to Yoon, as reported by the presidential office.
On Tuesday, Choi filled two judicial vacancies, partially addressing the opposition's demand to appoint three justices to the nine-member court before a ruling on President Yoon's impeachment, according to Yonhap news agency.
The presidential office expressed disappointment over Choi's appointments, asserting that he has exceeded his authority as an interim leader.
Legally, at least six votes are necessary to uphold an impeachment motion, suggesting that the addition of three justices could enhance the likelihood of Yoon's impeachment being confirmed. The court has a maximum of six months to determine Yoon's fate regarding removal from office or reinstatement.
Yoon, who was impeached by the National Assembly last month, is also under a criminal investigation related to his unsuccessful martial law declaration on December 3.
The resignation offers from Yoon's senior aides follow a Seoul court's issuance of a warrant for Yoon's detention on Tuesday, marking him as the first active South Korean president to face potential arrest. He is alleged to have engineered the martial law declaration, instigated an insurrection, and abused his power.
Earlier that day, Yoon's legal defense team announced plans to seek an injunction to suspend the detention warrant issued against the impeached president concerning his failed martial law attempt, with one of his lawyers describing the warrant as 'illegal'.
The Seoul Western District Court sanctioned a request from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) to issue the warrant against Yoon for allegedly masterminding the unsuccessful December 3 martial law declaration, orchestrating an insurrection, and abusing power, as stated by the CIO.
The court also approved a warrant to conduct a search of Yoon's presidential residence located in Yongsan, Seoul, in connection with the ongoing investigation.
