South Korean presidential office website closed after Yoon's ouster

IANS April 5, 2025 256 views

South Korea's presidential landscape dramatically shifted with Yoon Suk Yeol's unexpected removal by the Constitutional Court. The court's unanimous decision came after Yoon's controversial attempt to impose martial law in December. In response, the presidential office website was suspended and official photos were removed from government buildings. Yoon issued a remorseful statement expressing gratitude for the opportunity to serve and acknowledging his shortcomings.

"It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve our nation" - Yoon Suk Yeol
Seoul, April 5: South Korea's presidential office has suspended its official website following the Constitutional Court's ruling on former President Yoon Suk Yeol's removal from office, a notice on the site showed on Saturday.

Key Points

1

Constitutional Court unanimously removes Yoon from presidential office

2

Presidential website temporarily suspended

3

Ministries remove Yoon's official photos

4

Yoon apologizes for failing public expectations

The website said that the service was "temporarily unavailable" as it is "undergoing maintenance," apologising to the public for causing inconvenience, Yonhap news agency reported.

The notice appears to be a step taken following Friday's court decision to uphold the impeachment of Yoon and dismiss him as President over his martial law attempt last December.

On the same day, the presidential office in Yongsan lowered the flag bearing the official presidential emblem in front of the building, while ministries also removed photos of Yoon.

The former Cheong Wa Dae presidential office had also stopped operating its website in 2017 when then President Park Geun-hye was stripped of her duty by the top court over a massive influence-peddling scandal involving her close aide.

Meanwhile, other social network channels, including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, still introduced Yoon as President.

Yoon said on Friday he was sorry for not being able to meet public expectations after the Constitutional Court removed him from office over his short-lived martial law declaration in December.

Yoon issued an apology through his lawyers hours after the court unanimously ousted him from office.

"I deeply regret not being able to live up to your hopes and expectations," Yoon said in a statement.

"It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve our nation. I am sincerely grateful for your unwavering support and encouragement, even when I fell short."

Reader Comments

J
James K.
Wow, this is such a historic moment for South Korea. The Constitutional Court really showed its independence with this decision. Hope this leads to more stability in the government. 🇰🇷
S
Soo-Min L.
As a Korean citizen, I'm relieved but also worried about what comes next. The martial law attempt was unacceptable, but now we need strong leadership to move forward.
M
Michael T.
Interesting how quickly they took down the website and removed photos. Makes you wonder about the transition process - is this standard procedure or something more political?
A
Ariana P.
While I agree with the court's decision, I think the article could have provided more context about why the martial law declaration was so controversial. Not everyone understands Korean politics.
H
Hae-Won J.
The speed of these changes is impressive! Website down, flags removed, photos taken down - all within 24 hours. Shows how seriously they take these transitions in South Korea.
D
David R.
It's telling that the social media accounts still list him as president. Maybe they need better coordination between different government departments during transitions like this.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol Presidential Impeachment Constitutional Court Seoul Politics
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