Korea’s presidential aides seek to resign as turmoil continues

SOUTH Korea’s presidential advisers are seeking to resign en masse following a decision by Acting President Choi Sang-mok to appoint new judges to join the impeachment trial against President Yoon Suk-yeol.

The chief secretary, the director of national policy, the national security adviser and the special counsel for foreign affairs and security are among those who have expressed their intent to step down, Yonhap News reported on Wednesday (Jan 1).

The presidential office in a text message confirmed the development. The aides had sought to step down once earlier but their offers of resignation were not accepted by either the president or prime minister. 

Choi on Tuesday approved the appointment of two new judges to the Constitutional Court, taking the total number of justices to eight. That raised the likelihood of a ruling to finalise the removal of Yoon, who has been suspended from power by parliament for declaring martial law on Dec 3. 

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo took over from Yoon and he has also been impeached by an opposition-controlled parliament after he refused to quickly approve the appointment of three judges. Choi is the second acting president since Yoon was impeached on Dec 14.

A South Korean court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for Yoon, who is under criminal investigation for insurrection allegations.

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Yoon denies those charges and has pledged to fight in court. His lawyer has told reporters the warrant for Yoon is illegal and invalid.

As the political turmoil continues, South Korea is in a week-long mourning period over the Jeju Air plane crash on Sunday that killed all but two of the 181 people on board. BLOOMBERG