Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Tuesday turned down senior presidential aides' resignation offers, citing the need to address urgent security and economic issues facing the nation.
On Monday, Chief of Staff Han Kwang-ok, chief national security adviser Kim Kwan-jin, the presidential security chief and nine senior secretaries offered their resignations en masse to take responsibility for the ouster of President Park Geun-hye over a corruption scandal last week.
Hwang rejected the offers to "ensure no gaps in the running of state affairs and to resolve urgent pending issues in consideration of the grave national security and economic situations," an official representing him said in a press briefing at the government complex in Seoul.
The acting president is expected to keep the current lineup until South Korea picks a new president in an early election triggered by Park's impeachment. Many think the poll will take place on May 9 as the law requires it be held within 60 days after a president's removal.
Hwang's decision sends a message that he will focus on stably managing state affairs at a time when the country faces rising economic and political challenges including China's economic retaliations over the deployment of a US missile defense system in South Korea and North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.
The presidential officials will also be responsible for handling the transfer of presidential records to the state archives and preparing the transition into the incoming administration, which will take office without a formal transition period.

Source: QNA