SEOUL: Senior aides to President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached last month, offered their resignations on Wednesday following the appointment of two key justices to the Constitutional Court by acting President Choi Sang-mok.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the aides seeking to resign include Chung Jin-suk, the presidential chief of staff; National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik; Sung Tae-yoon, chief of staff for policy; and Chang Ho-jin, foreign policy adviser to Yoon. The resignations were tendered a day after Choi made the judicial appointments, partially meeting the opposition's demands to fill three vacancies on the nine-member bench ahead of a ruling on President Yoon's impeachment.

Choi's decision to appoint the justices has drawn criticism from the presidential office, which expressed regret and accused Choi of exceeding his authority as an interim leader. The appointments have significant implications for Yoon's impeachment process, as at least six votes from the Constitutional Court are required to uphold the impeachment motion. The addition of new justices could potentially influence the outcome, as the court has up to six months to decide whether to remove Yoon from office or reinstate him.

President Yoon, who was impeached by the National Assembly, is concurrently under criminal investigation following a failed martial law declaration on December 3. The situation escalated on Tuesday when a Seoul court issued a detention warrant for Yoon, making him the first sitting South Korean president to face possible arrest. He is suspected of masterminding the martial law declaration, orchestrating an insurrection, and abusing his power.