South Korean lawmakers impeached acting President Han Duck-soo on Friday, deepening the political crisis triggered by his predecessor’s controversial martial law declaration that had shocked the world.
Han, who assumed the role of acting president after President Yoon Suk Yeol was suspended due to a parliamentary vote over his martial law move on December 3, now faces impeachment.
Opposition lawmakers argued that Han, who also serves as prime minister, failed to complete the impeachment process against Yoon and bring him to justice.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik announced the vote, saying, “I announce that Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s impeachment motion has passed. Out of the 192 lawmakers who voted, 192 voted to impeach.”
The impeachment vote was delayed after lawmakers from the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) protested, chanting angrily and demanding Woo’s resignation. The protestors did not participate in the vote, which passed with a simple majority of the 300-member parliament.
This marks South Korea’s second impeachment of a head of state in just two weeks and is the first impeachment of an acting president. PPP leader Kweon Seong-dong insisted after the vote that Han “must continue to lead state affairs” despite the impeachment motion.
In a statement following the vote, Han said he “respects the parliament’s decision” and would wait for the Constitutional Court’s ruling on whether the impeachment would stand.
The opposition’s motion accused Han of “intentionally avoiding” a special investigation into those involved in the martial law declaration and of attempting to block the appointment of three Constitutional Court judges. They claimed these actions violated his duty as a public official.
Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will step in as acting president following Han’s impeachment. Choi had earlier appealed to opposition lawmakers to halt the motion, warning that political uncertainty could further harm the country’s already fragile economy and the livelihoods of its people.
The dispute centers on the composition of the Constitutional Court, which will ultimately decide the fate of the impeachment. With three vacant seats on the nine-member bench, the opposition had pressed Han to approve new appointments to avoid a deadlock, but Han had refused.
Democratic Party lawmaker Jo Seoung-lae criticized Han’s refusal to appoint the judges, calling it a “direct challenge to the Constitution and the law” and arguing that it was necessary to restore constitutional order.
Han, however, argued that the appointment of judges should be a result of compromise between the ruling and opposition parties, in line with the principles of South Korea’s constitution.
Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court began its preliminary hearing on the impeachment of Yoon, despite the ongoing political turmoil. The South Korean won fell to its lowest value in nearly 16 years as the crisis deepened, and police launched a raid on a presidential safe house as part of the martial law investigation.
AFP
