A collective resignation of the presidential staff...suspension of President Yoon's schedule

[Anchor]
Let's go to the presidential office, the epicenter of all this.

No additional news has been heard since high-ranking staff, including chief of staff Jeong Jin-seok, expressed their resignation earlier today (4th).

President Yoon Suk Yeol's whereabouts are also unknown.

I'm connecting with a reporter to find out. Reporter Kang Min-kyung!

[Reporter]
Yes, this is the presidential office in Yongsan.

[Anchor]
Let's start with the news of the staff.

High-level aides in the presidential office expressed their resignation, right?

[Reporter]
That's right. The presidential office said that the chief and senior secretaries offered to resign at around 9:30 a.m. today.

Chief of Staff Jeong Jin-seok, Chief of Policy Seong Tae-yoon, and Chief of National Security Office Shin Won-sik are the three chiefs and senior secretaries, including Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Chul-ho.

Earlier, Chief Jeong Jin-seok reportedly presided over a meeting of senior secretaries that normally took place at 8 a.m. today, when the martial law crisis was over.

It is said that the meeting was held in a rather gloomy atmosphere.

Chief Jeong is known to have told his staff to consider the issue of his future here collectively.

[Anchor]
Did the staff immediately accept the suggestion?

The company hasn't been fixed yet, has it?

[Reporter]
Most of the senior secretaries seem to have agreed with the resignation.

It remains to be seen whether it will be repaired or not, but the biggest variable is the National Assembly.

This is because if the presidential impeachment bill is handled in the National Assembly, there are practical matters to be dealt with.

Some point out that it is not a matter that will end with a resignation.This is because it is a matter that can be held accountable for failing to properly assist as a staff, such as failing to prevent President

Yoon from declaring martial law.

If they were not notified in advance, questions surrounding why they did not communicate with the president are likely to arise.

Now that the resignation has not been accepted, high-level aides in the presidential office are expected to move with the government's cabinet to deal with the chaotic situation so far.

[Anchor]
Has there been any news from the presidential office since the resignation of the staff?

[Reporter]
We don't have one yet.

All of the high-level staff who have expressed their resignation have not been contacted by reporters.

As the situation is, it is presumed that there is no room for media response.

Reflecting this atmosphere, the atmosphere of the presidential office here, where I am, is also somber and solemn.

[Anchor]
Please tell us about the current atmosphere in the presidential office.

I also hear that the vigilance has become stronger.

[Reporter]
Yes, the presidential office here was very chaotic at the time of the declaration of the emergency martial law last night, with reporters restricting access.

Currently, the situation has been sorted out, but the boundaries around Yongsan itself are still tight.

In fact, when I entered the presidential office, I checked both the front and back of the pass, and the identification process became stricter.

However, the administrative operation of the presidential office itself is not paralyzed.

It is no different from usual, operating auxiliary facilities such as cafeteria and canteen, and administrators are working normally.

Of course, the overall atmosphere is the air of silence in gloom.

Multiple employees who met in the hallway repeatedly said, "I have nothing to say right now," avoiding contact with reporters overall.

[Anchor]
Reporter Kang, the opposition party is officially calling for the resignation of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

There's no response from President Yoon or the president's office to this yet, right?

[Reporter]
Yes, there is no proper movement.

As the issue of resignation is very important, all the staff at the end of the presidential office seem to be reticent.

However, given the current situation, even if the presidential office makes an additional position, it is likely to respond immediately, that is, responding as soon as the situation becomes, rather than announcing it to reporters in advance.

There is no further movement by Yoon Suk Yeol's president yet.

Earlier, President Yoon suddenly declared both martial law declaration and lifting statements in a briefing room without a press corps, without prior notice.

As such, we also need to respond to whether President Yoon will make an additional position in real time.

[Anchor]
So is President Yoon Suk Yeol currently in the presidential office in Yongsan?

I heard that today's release schedule has been postponed.

[Reporter]
President Yoon's future has not been officially identified.

The aides have not commented on the whereabouts of President Yoon either.

To guess, it is possible that President Yoon may have moved to Hannam-dong's official residence after announcing the lifting of martial law at 4:30 a.m.

Or even speculation that they may have remained in the presidential office or moved to a third place with better security.

First of all, President Yoon has suspended all public schedules, such as a drug response inspection meeting that he had scheduled today.

[Anchor]
Lastly, it's a matter that viewers are very curious about, so I'm going to point it out in terms of organization.

Was the Cabinet meeting held before the President of Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law?

This is a matter that can be directly connected to the issue of procedural legitimacy.

[Reporter]
Yes. First of all, it has been confirmed that President Yoon Suk Yeol convened a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Office in Yongsan before declaring an emergency martial law last night.

Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who proposed emergency martial law, is said to be present.

Of the 19 members of the State Council, the rest of the participants except for President Yoon and Minister Kim have not been confirmed accurately.

As the opposition party claims, ministers, the State Council members, seem reluctant to confirm whether they will attend or not.

To sum up the stories of the reporters, it seems that the members of the State Council who attended the Cabinet meeting also did not know that the agenda was a declaration of martial law.It is also heard that many of the members of the State Council objected shortly after President

Yoon announced this.

However, since the Cabinet meeting is only subject to deliberation and is not a place where votes for and against take place, it is speculated that President Yoon may have pushed for the declaration of martial law with a firm will.

I'm Kang Min-kyung of YTN in the presidential office in Yongsan.