South Korea is in crisis as the opposition has filed an impeachment motion against acting president Han Duck-soo over a dispute about the composition of the constitutional court that will decide whether to remove his predecessor from office.
The situation began when President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on December 3, prompting Parliament to strip him of duties. The impeachment process requires a ruling by the constitutional court, which is short of three judges due to Han’s refusal to appoint new members.
Han has refused to certify the appointments of the missing judges despite opposition demands, sparking a deadlock between the two sides. The Democratic party has now accused Han of violating his duty as acting president and will put him up for impeachment in a plenary session today.
If successful, the impeachment would mark South Korea’s first time removing an acting president from office under democratic rule. In this scenario, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok would replace Han as acting president.
Han has cited concerns about presidential powers but the opposition disagrees, accusing him of intentionally avoiding investigation into Yoon’s martial law declaration and graft allegations involving his wife. If the impeachment motion is approved, it would be South Korea’s second such case in under two weeks, further destabilizing the country’s politics.
Yoon faces separate criminal charges for insurrection over his martial law declaration and could face life imprisonment or the death penalty if convicted.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/26/south-korea-opposition-moves-to-impeach-acting-president-in-new-political-twist