Erasing Traces of Yoon from Website and Social Media
"Service Under Maintenance... Temporarily Suspended" Notice
On the second day after the impeachment of former President Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential office's website and social media services (SNS) began erasing traces of the former president.
The presidential office's website was suspended on the morning of the 5th. As of 3 p.m. that day, accessing the presidential office's website only displays a notice stating, "The presidential office website service is currently under maintenance. The website service will be temporarily suspended during the maintenance period." This website consisted of menus such as an introduction to former President Yoon, "The facts are like this," "National tasks," and "Card news," and had served as a channel to promote the Yoon administration's policies.
The notice on former President Yoon's Facebook, Instagram, and X social media accounts was labeled "President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Seok-yeol" until the previous day, but from this day onward, it changed to "The 20th President Yoon Seok-yeol."
Earlier, at 11:22 a.m. the previous day, when the Constitutional Court announced the impeachment ruling against former President Yoon, the phoenix flag hoisted at the Yongsan presidential office building in Seoul was lowered. Lowering the phoenix flag, which symbolizes the president, signifies the absence of a sitting president. However, the presidential office has not issued an official statement regarding former President Yoon's impeachment even two days after the ruling. On the 4th, senior secretaries including Chief Secretary Jeong Jin-seok, Policy Chief Seong Tae-yoon, and National Security Office Chief Shin Won-sik collectively tendered their resignations to Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, but Han rejected all of them.
On the 4th, before the Constitutional Court's dismissal ruling against President Yoon Seok-yeol, the Bonghwanggi was hoisted at the Yongsan Presidential Office. After the dismissal ruling, officials at the Presidential Office are taking down the Bonghwanggi. Photo by Joint Press Corps
On the second day after the impeachment, the 5th, former President Yoon was reportedly staying at the Hannam-dong residence and preparing to vacate. On the same day, Yonhap News reported that the timing of former President Yoon's departure is expected to be no earlier than next week. A presidential office official told Yonhap News, "There are many things to organize and prepare," adding, "It seems that vacating will not be possible until at least this weekend." Former President Park Geun-hye left the Blue House residence for her Samsung-dong home after sunset on March 12, two days after her impeachment was upheld on March 10, 2017.
It is not yet known whether former President Yoon will return to his original residence in Seocho-dong. A security office official stated, "Once the relocation place for former President Yoon is decided, security activities will be carried out according to relevant laws and regulations," but added, "We have not yet been notified of any departure plans." According to the "Act on the Treatment of Former Presidents," even if a president is impeached and leaves office during their term, security and protection for the former president are maintained.
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