By Hyunhee Shin
SEOUL (Reuters) – Top aides to ousted South Korean President Yeon Suk-yul offered to resign en masse on Wednesday, a day after his office expressed regret that acting President Choe Sang-mook had approved the appointment of two new judges to a court set to decide Yeon's fate. .
Yoon's chief of staff, policy chief, national security adviser and special adviser for foreign affairs and security, as well as all other senior secretaries, have tendered their resignations, Yoon's office said in a statement, without elaborating.
Choi's office said it would not accept their resignation because the priority now is to focus on improving the economy and stabilizing state affairs.
A presidential official who declined to be identified due to political sensitivities said that aides have repeatedly expressed their intention to step down following Yoon's failed attempt to declare martial law on December 3, but their resignations have not been accepted.
The official said senior secretaries have been assisting Choi since he took over as acting president. Two other officials said aides are not involved in day-to-day government operations, but are required to report to Choi and attend meetings when necessary.
The latest offer to aides came a day after Choi surprisingly agreed to fill two vacancies on the Constitutional Court handling Yoon's impeachment trial.
This brings the total number of judges to eight on the nine-member court. Any decision in Yoon's case would require the approval of at least six justices.
Yoon's ruling People Power Party criticized Choi's decision as “dogmatic” and lacking adequate consultations.
Finance Minister Choi assumed the role of acting president on Friday after the removal of Prime Minister Han Dak-soo, who had been acting president since December 14 when Yoon was suspended from power.
Yoon is facing investigations over allegations that he led a rebellion, and the Seoul District Court on Tuesday approved his arrest, the first for a sitting president.
