[Yongsan Report] Silence Surrounds the Presidential Office Facing 'Impeachment'

Amid a barrage of questions from reporters, "No schedule"
Dispatched officials wear expressions full of sorrow

"The country must prosper... I am simply doing my duty."

Silence and stillness prevail in the Presidential Office, which is facing the National Assembly's vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol. Unlike the heated pro- and anti-impeachment debates in the National Assembly ahead of the vote, the Presidential Office remains calm like the "eye of the storm." Occasionally, only the sighs of aides passing through the office break the silence.

On this day, the Presidential Office responded to the barrage of reporters' questions by stating, "There are no official schedules today." Although plans had been concretized for President Yoon to issue a public address apologizing for causing public anxiety the previous morning, the aides reportedly advised against it before the National Assembly's impeachment vote, fearing it might only fuel negative public opinion. Given President Yoon's firm intention that "martial law was strictly implemented within the constitutional framework," it was judged that an address right before the vote would be insufficient to turn the situation around.

Among some senior aides, a sense of self-reproach lingers, with feelings of "not knowing about martial law and not being able to stop it." At the emergency briefing held the previous morning, Chief Secretary Jeong Jin-seok, with a somber expression, only announced President Yoon's acceptance of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun's resignation and subsequent personnel changes, then hurriedly left through the back door.

Presidential Office aides are minimizing contact by canceling not only official schedules but also lunch and dinner appointments with reporters. The schedule, which had been fully booked through the end of the year and into the New Year, now remains blank. As the aides minimize external meetings, the cafeteria has become unusually crowded. A Presidential Office official said, "We don't know the situation. It's better not to say anything at all to avoid misunderstandings," and closed their mouth.

The faces of public officials dispatched to the Presidential Office are also filled with worry. They are closely monitoring the situation with all their attention focused on the impeachment outcome, but a sense of despondency is also palpable.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is delivering an urgent special address to the nation on the night of the 3rd at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News