[Yoon Seok-yeol Impeachment] South Korea Acting President Rejects Resignations of All Senior Presidential Office Aides

Yonhap News

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, acting president, rejected the resignation letters submitted by senior presidential aides, including Chief Presidential Secretary Jeong Jin-seok, following the dismissal of former President Yoon Seok-yeol on the 4th.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, on that day, Acting President Han decided not to accept the resignation offers from 15 senior secretaries at the level of chief secretary or higher, including three directors of the Presidential Secretariat, one special advisor, eight senior secretaries, and three deputy chiefs.

The Prime Minister's Office explained, "This is a measure to minimize the administrative vacuum and to ensure the smooth execution of urgent current affairs amid the grave national situation regarding the economy and security."

Accordingly, the presidential aides are expected to continue their duties for the remaining two months until the early presidential election, assisting Acting President Han in managing the election and handing over tasks to the next administration.

Immediately after the dismissal of former President Yoon on that day, 15 senior presidential aides collectively offered their resignations to Acting President Han.

Previously, after the Constitutional Court's impeachment ruling against former President Park Geun-hye in 2017, nine senior Blue House aides, including Chief Presidential Secretary Han Kwang-ok, submitted their resignations to Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn, but these were also collectively rejected at that time.

Additionally, Acting President Han reportedly requested cabinet members to remain in their positions to respond to crisis situations such as the early presidential election, North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations, and the tariff war initiated by the United States.

Presiding over an emergency cabinet meeting that day, Acting President Han urged, "All cabinet members and public officials should do their best in their duties to prevent any administrative vacuum," emphasizing, "Special efforts must be made to resolve urgent issues such as maintaining public order amid large-scale rallies and demonstrations related to the impeachment decision and the mutual tariff responses announced by the Trump administration."

A senior government official predicted, "It is unlikely that cabinet members will collectively offer their resignations."