South Korea's interim leader refuses to accept resignations of senior presidential secretaries

Choi Sang-mok, South Korea's acting president and minister of economy and finance, has no plans to accept the resignation offers from senior presidential secretaries, Choi's office said Wednesday.

Choi, who doubles as deputy prime minister for economic affairs, has no plan to accept the resignations, as now is the time to concentrate on stabilizing people's livelihoods and state affairs, his office said in a short notice.

Among the senior aides of the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol who offered resignations were the presidential chief of staff, top national security adviser, chief of staff for policy, special adviser for foreign and security affairs, and other senior secretaries.

The resignation offers came a day after the acting president appointed two constitutional court justices to fill two of the three vacancies in the nine-member bench for Yoon's impeachment trial.

The appointed justices began duties earlier in the day, raising a possibility for Yoon's impeachment being upheld.

To remove Yoon from office, at least six justices of the constitutional court are required to uphold the impeachment.

The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed in the National Assembly on December 14 and was delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended.

Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspect on an insurrection charge, declared an emergency martial law on the night of December 3, which was revoked hours later by the National Assembly.