National Assembly of South Korea Moves to Impeach Acting President Han Duck-soo
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Seoul, Dec 27 (NationPress) The National Assembly of South Korea cast a vote on Friday to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo, just under two weeks after he assumed office following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol due to a failed attempt to impose martial law.
The impeachment motion was approved unanimously with a 192-0 vote, representing a historic moment as it is the first occasion where an acting President has been impeached by the Parliament.
Immediately following the delivery of the impeachment resolution, Han was suspended from his official duties, with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok stepping in to serve as both the acting President and acting Prime Minister.
In a statement, Han expressed, “I respect the decision of the National Assembly, and in order to prevent further confusion and uncertainty, I will suspend my duties in accordance with relevant laws, and await a swift and wise decision from the Constitutional Court.”
Despite this, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) voiced their dissent, arguing that the vote was invalid as the quorum for impeachment should be a simple majority of 151 votes, which applies to Cabinet ministers, rather than a two-thirds majority of 200 votes that is required for the President, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik announced the quorum just before the vote, prompting PPP lawmakers to rush to the Speaker's seat, raising their fists and shouting “null and void.”
The motion for impeachment was initiated by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) a day prior, following Han's refusal to appoint additional justices to the Constitutional Court, which is responsible for overseeing Yoon's impeachment trial.
The DP cited five grounds for Han’s impeachment, including his refusal to appoint justices, his involvement in Yoon’s martial law attempt, and his failure to promulgate two special counsel bills targeting Yoon and First Lady Kim Keon Hee.
Currently, the court has only six justices, as three retired at the end of their terms. Legally, a minimum of six votes is necessary to affirm an impeachment motion, suggesting that appointing three new justices could enhance the likelihood of Yoon's impeachment being validated.
Shortly after the impeachment motion against Han was passed, the PPP sought an adjudication on jurisdiction disputes along with an injunction from the Constitutional Court to invalidate his impeachment.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Choi took over his responsibilities and was scheduled to meet with Han later that day. He also planned to communicate with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, deliver a written address to the public, and convene the National Security Council, as per his ministry's announcement.
