South Korea has officially impeached acting president Han Duck-soo, following a similar fate for President Yoon Suk Yeol just two weeks prior. In a decisive move, 192 lawmakers supported the impeachment, surpassing the 151 votes required for success.
Han Duck-soo stepped into the role after Yoon was impeached by parliament due to his controversial attempt to impose martial law on December 3. However, opposition lawmakers criticized Han for his reluctance to finalize the impeachment proceedings against Yoon.
The parliamentary vote unfolded amid chaos, as members from the ruling People Power Party (PPP) protested the announcement by National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik that only 151 votes were necessary to pass Han’s impeachment. Unlike Yoon’s case, which needed 200 votes from lawmakers, this time the impeachment could move forward without any support from the ruling party.
Protests erupted in the voting chamber, with ruling party members chanting “invalid!” and “abuse of power!” as they demanded the speaker’s resignation and some boycotted the vote altogether. Han will be suspended from all duties once parliament officially informs him of the impeachment.
The validity of Han’s impeachment, similar to Yoon’s, now hinges on the constitutional court, which has a window of 180 days to make a ruling. In light of the situation, Han acknowledged the National Assembly’s decision, stating he would await the court’s verdict.
The opposition initiated the impeachment motion against Han after he obstructed the appointment of three judges selected by parliament to oversee Yoon’s case. The nine-member Constitutional Court requires at least six judges to back Yoon’s impeachment for it to hold.
Currently, the bench comprises only six judges, meaning a single disagreement could safeguard Yoon from removal. The opposition’s hopes rested on the appointment of the three additional judges to enhance the chances of Yoon’s impeachment.
With Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok poised to take over as acting president, Han’s ousting is expected to exacerbate the existing political deadlock in the nation. Additionally, the Korean won hit its lowest value against the dollar since the global financial crisis, with both political parties placing blame on one another amid the turmoil.
