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South Korea’s presidential advisers are seeking to resign en masse following Acting President Choi Sang-mok’s decision to appoint new judges to preside over the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The chief secretary, national policy director, national security adviser and special counsel for foreign affairs and security are among those who have expressed their intention to step down, Yonhap News reported on Wednesday. The President’s Office confirmed the development in a text message. The aides had demanded him to step down once before but his offer of resignation was not accepted by either the President or the Prime Minister.
Choi on Tuesday approved the appointment of two new judges to the Constitutional Court, bringing the total number of judges to eight. This raises the possibility of finalizing a decision to remove Yoon, who has been suspended from power by parliament for declaring martial law on December 3.
Prime Minister Han Duk-soo took over from Yoon and was also impeached by the opposition-controlled parliament after refusing to quickly approve the appointment of three judges. Choi is the second acting president since Yun was impeached on December 14.
A South Korean court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for Yoon, who is under criminal investigation for rebellion charges. Yoon has denied those allegations and vowed to fight in court. His lawyer told reporters that the warrant for Yoon was illegal and invalid.
As 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.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.
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