South Korea’s political turmoil deepened on Thursday as the opposition filed an impeachment motion against acting president Han Duck-soo.
The move intensifies an ongoing dispute over the composition of the Constitutional Court, which will ultimately determine whether President Yoon Suk Yeol is permanently removed from office.
The crisis began when President Yoon, currently suspended, declared martial law on December 3.
Parliament stripped Yoon of his duties on December 14, but the Constitutional Court must uphold this decision to finalize his impeachment.
The court is presently operating with only six of its nine members. Although it can rule with the current quorum, just one dissenting vote would reinstate Yoon.
The opposition has urged Han to approve three new judges to fill the vacancies, but he has refused, creating a political stalemate.
In response, the Democratic Party argues that Han himself should be impeached.
“We have filed the motion… and will report it to the plenary session today,” said MP Park Sung-joon at the National Assembly, confirming that a vote on the motion is scheduled for Friday.
The party’s floor leader, Park Chan-dae, accused Han of lacking the commitment to uphold the constitution.
“Han’s refusal to formally appoint the three judges proves that he does not have the will or qualification to uphold the constitution,” Park told reporters.
Han, however, insists that appointments require bipartisan agreement. “The consistent principle embedded in our constitution and laws is to refrain from exercising significant exclusive presidential powers, including the appointment of constitutional institutions,” he stated. “A consensus between the ruling and opposition parties in the National Assembly, representing the people, must first be reached.”
If Friday’s vote passes, it would mark the first impeachment of an acting president in South Korea’s democratic history. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok would step in to serve as acting president if Han is removed.
Accusations Against Han
The impeachment motion accuses Han of failing in his duties by refusing to appoint the judges and rejecting two special bills proposed to investigate Yoon’s martial law declaration and alleged graft involving his wife, Kim Keon Hee.
Earlier in the week, Han rejected the opposition’s demand to create independent investigative bodies to probe these allegations. The Democratic Party warned of impeachment following his refusal.
The motion claims Han’s actions are “in violation of a public official’s duty to uphold the law… and serve the public,” citing his explicit intention to block the judge appointments and the special investigations.
Should the impeachment succeed, South Korea would experience its second removal of a head of state in two weeks, further unsettling the nation’s political climate.
Meanwhile, Yoon faces criminal charges for insurrection over his martial law declaration, with potential penalties ranging from life imprisonment to the death sentence.
Despite being summoned for questioning a third time, Yoon has yet to comply. He was instructed to appear on December 29, after previously refusing to do so on Christmas Day.
