Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Friday instructed ministers to ensure the stable management of state affairs, prevent further social division and make preparations for the upcoming presidential vote.
He made the calls during a Cabinet meeting hours after the Constitutional Court upheld the parliamentary impeachment of President Park Geun-hye over a massive corruption scandal surrounding her and her confidante.
Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the central government complex in Seoul on March 10, 2017. (Yonhap)
Hwang plans to issue a public statement later in the day to call for cooperation from citizens in addressing social and political divisions left behind by the highly charged scandal.
"(I) respect the Constitutional Court's decision, and feel the heavy responsibility as the chief of the Cabinet for the unprecedented situation in our constitutional history," Hwang said during the meeting.
"(We) have to manage social order to prevent further internal conflicts and address public jitters and concerns from the international community by stably managing state affairs," he added.
Noting that the nation will hold a presidential by-election within the two months of the historic verdict, the acting president ordered the government to speed up preparations for the poll such as the designation of the election date.
"We also have to do our best to continuously educate (public servants) to ensure that they maintain political neutrality during the election process," Hwang pointed out.
Referring to the deaths of two people who died on the day during their protests against the court's decision to dismiss Park, Hwang instructed the justice ministry, the police authorities and other related government agencies to step up efforts to ensure public safety.
Hwang, in addition, underscored the need for the government to carry out foreign, economic and defense policies without any problems and to make the international community understand that everything is under control in the country after Park's dismissal. (Yonhap)