South Korea's National Assembly impeached Acting President Han Duck-soo on Friday, |December 27, deepening the political turmoil sparked by former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law earlier this month.
Han, who also serves as prime minister, assumed the role of acting president after Yoon’s suspension on December 3. However, opposition lawmakers demanded Han’s removal, accusing him of failing to advance Yoon’s impeachment process and obstructing justice.
“I announce that Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s impeachment motion has passed. Out of the 192 lawmakers who voted, 192 voted to impeach,” declared National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik.
The decision faced immediate backlash from the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP), whose members protested in parliament, chanting angrily and demanding Woo’s resignation. Despite their protests, the impeachment motion proceeded, marking South Korea’s first impeachment of an acting president and the second impeachment of a head of state within two weeks.
PPP leader Kweon Seong-dong insisted that Han should continue to lead state affairs despite the impeachment. Han, however, stated he “respects the parliament’s decision” and would await the Constitutional Court’s ruling on whether to uphold the motion.
Opposition lawmakers argued in their impeachment motion that Han was “intentionally avoiding the special investigation to probe those involved in the insurrection and has clearly stated his intention to reject the appointments of three Constitutional Court judges,” actions they deemed a violation of his duty to uphold the law and serve the public.
Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will serve as acting president in Han’s place. Choi had earlier urged opposition lawmakers to reconsider the impeachment motion, warning that it could destabilize the economy during a national emergency.
“Our economy and people’s livelihoods, which are walking on thin ice, cannot bear the expansion of political uncertainty surrounding the acting authority,” Choi said in a press briefing.
At the heart of the conflict is the Constitutional Court, which will decide the validity of both Yoon’s and Han’s impeachments. The court currently operates with six of its nine seats filled, and a single dissenting vote could reinstate Yoon.
The opposition accused Han of refusing to approve three nominees for the court, a move Democratic Party lawmakerSeoung-ale-lae described as a “direct challenge to the Constitution and the law.”
Han defended his position, asserting that a bipartisan consensus was necessary for appointing the judges. “A consensus between the ruling and opposition parties in the National Assembly, representing the people, must first be reached,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court began its preliminary hearing on Yoon’s impeachment on Friday, with his legal team attending. The ongoing political instability has shaken investor confidence, causing the South Korean won to plummet to 1480.2 per US dollar, its lowest level in nearly 16 years.
Authorities have also intensified their investigation into the martial law declaration, with police raiding a presidential safe house and collecting footage from nearby security cameras. As South Korea grapples with this unprecedented political crisis, the nation’s economic and political future hangs in the balance.
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