South Korea’s political landscape is in chaos as the opposition Democratic Party filed an impeachment motion against Acting President Han Duck-soo on Thursday. The move comes amid a deepening standoff over the composition of the Constitutional Court, which holds the power to finalize the impeachment of suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol.
South Korea plunged into crisis earlier this month when President Yoon declared martial law on December 3, a move that sparked outrage across the nation. Parliament responded by suspending him from office on December 14. However, the final decision on his removal lies with the Constitutional Court.
Currently, the court is operating with only six judges instead of its full nine-member bench. While it can proceed with six judges, a single dissenting vote could reinstate Yoon. The opposition has pushed for Acting President Han to appoint three new judges to fill the vacancies, a step he has so far refused to take.
The Democratic Party argues that Han’s refusal to approve the judges has left the nation in political paralysis. They accuse him of failing in his duty to uphold the constitution, as well as blocking two special investigation bills aimed at probing Yoon’s declaration of martial law and allegations of corruption involving his wife, Kim Keon Hee.
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“We have filed the motion and will report it to the plenary session today,” MP Park Sung-joon announced. The party plans to bring the impeachment motion to a vote on Friday.
Han has defended his position, emphasizing the need for bipartisan consensus before making such significant decisions. “Our constitution and laws consistently aim to avoid the unilateral exercise of presidential powers,” Han explained.
He stressed that any appointments or decisions regarding the Constitutional Court should come through agreement between the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the opposition in the National Assembly.
If the impeachment motion against Han is successful, it will be the first time in South Korea’s democratic history that an acting president has been impeached. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok would then step in as acting president.
He has been charged with insurrection for declaring martial law, a crime that carries penalties ranging from life imprisonment to the death penalty. He has been ordered to appear for questioning on December 29, after refusing earlier summonses, including one on Christmas Day.
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