South Korea’s Parliament Votes to Impeach Acting President Han
Political Crisis Deepens as Opposition Seeks Accountability Over Constitutional Court Appointments
- South Korea's parliament has voted to impeach Acting President Han Duck-soo
- After Han’s impeachment, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is expected to assume the role of acting president under South Korean law.
- The DP’s decision to impeach Han stemmed from his failure to immediately appoint three new justices
South Korea’s parliament has voted to impeach Acting President Han Duck-soo, further intensifying the political crisis in the country.
This turmoil has contributed to a sharp decline in the value of the South Korean won, which has dropped to levels not seen since the 2007-2009 global financial crisis.
A total of 192 lawmakers in the 300-member National Assembly voted in favor of the impeachment on Friday, while politicians from the ruling party boycotted the vote.
Han, who has been serving as acting president since December 14 following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol over his brief imposition of martial law on December 3, saw his powers suspended by the National Assembly.
After Han’s impeachment, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is expected to assume the role of acting president under South Korean law.
The Democratic Party (DP), which holds 170 seats in the National Assembly and is the main opposition party, spearheaded the impeachment effort.
The DP’s decision to impeach Han stemmed from his failure to immediately appoint three new justices to fill vacancies on the Constitutional Court. The nominees were approved by the DP-controlled parliament on Thursday, but Han insisted he would not formally appoint them without bipartisan agreement on the matter.
