Yoon, presidential office remain silent as state affairs grind to halt

President Yoon Suk Yeol bows as he concludes his apologetic address to the public at the presidential office in Seoul, Saturday. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol bows as he concludes his apologetic address to the public at the presidential office in Seoul, Saturday. Yonhap

By Anna J. Park

President Yoon Suk Yeol and the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, have remained silent as of Monday, with no statements issued or official schedules conducted since the abrupt declaration of martial law last Tuesday evening.

Although presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk and other aides have continued working at the office and carrying out their duties, the usual bustling activity has noticeably decreased.

Yoon did not attend his usual Monday morning meetings with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and senior presidential secretaries. Instead, reports indicate that his chief of staff chaired internal meetings with aides to discuss the current political situation, including the National Assembly's impeachment motion and ongoing investigations by prosecutors and police.

The president's last public appearance was on Saturday morning, when he delivered an address in the briefing room of the presidential office.

Neither the president nor his office has issued any statements since Saturday's failed impeachment motion, which collapsed due to an insufficient number of lawmakers present to cast votes. They also remained silent following a joint announcement on Sunday by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon, in which they outlined their plans to lead state affairs.

The president's public schedule has been empty on the official presidential office website since December 4. Captured from website of presidential office

The president's public schedule has been empty on the official presidential office website since December 4. Captured from website of presidential office

As Yoon remains silent, the presidential office's external activities have nearly ground to a halt. Regular notifications about briefings and press releases on key policies and current issues have entirely stopped.

While the president's staff continue to come to the office, their interactions with the press have become minimal. They have been avoiding confirming or responding to reporters' questions on various pressing issues. Luncheons and dinners between reporters and presidential aides or officials, which had been frequent and informal until last Tuesday, have all been canceled.

Some key presidential aides and officials, including the chief of staff, former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, and several others, left and rejoined Telegram over the weekend, seemingly in an attempt to erase all previous conversations held on the platform. Telegram is the most widely used messaging platform among presidential office staff.

The official website of the presidential office has not been updated since last Tuesday evening, when Yoon made the sudden declaration of martial law.

Similarly, the last update to the press briefing center operated by the presidential office consisted of two photos from the president's national address on Saturday, where he apologized to the public regarding the martial law situation.

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