South Korean presidential office website closed after Yoon's ouster

Seoul(The Uttam Hindu): 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. 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."