Presidential aides, including chief of staff Chung Jin-suk, tendered their resignations en masse Wednesday morning after President Yoon Suk Yeol in a surprise move declared emergency martial law the previous night.
Chung and senior presidential secretaries offered to resign, hours after martial law was lifted.
The resignations of the presidential aides appear to be an attempt to take responsibility for Yoon’s declaration of martial law the day before.
In turn, Yoon canceled all scheduled public appearances Wednesday.
Yoon had been scheduled to hold a meeting on response to drug crimes at the Yongsan presidential office at 10. a.m., which was postponed, a presidential official said.
Around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Yoon gave an unannounced public address at the Yongsan presidential office in Seoul declaring emergency martial law to protect the country from threats of North Korean communist forces and pro-Pyongyang antistate forces
Six hours after declaring emergency martial law, Yoon lifted the decree early Wednesday. The Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo approved of a motion to lift the emergency decree around 4:30 a.m.
BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]
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