SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea’s main opposition party introduced a bill on Thursday to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo, accusing him of obstructing the constitutional process to remove his predecessor, President Yoon Suk Yeol, from office, as reported by AFP.
The move follows a deepening constitutional crisis sparked by Yoon’s declaration of martial law on December 3, which led to his suspension by parliament on December 14. However, a ruling from the Constitutional Court is needed to finalize his impeachment.
Han Duck-soo, who serves as acting president in Yoon’s absence, has refused to appoint three judge nominees to fill vacancies in the nine-member Constitutional Court. This refusal has stalled the impeachment process, as all six current judges would need to unanimously agree to remove Yoon from office, and any dissent would reinstate him.
The opposition Democratic Party has now filed an impeachment motion against Han, accusing him of failing to fulfill his duties in upholding the Constitution. “We have filed the motion… and will report it to the plenary session today,” said MP Park Sung-joon. “We will put it to a vote tomorrow.”
Park Chan-dae, the Democratic Party’s floor leader, said, “Han’s refusal to formally appoint the three judges proves that he does not have the will or qualification to uphold the Constitution.”
Han has argued that the appointment of judges should be based on a consensus between the ruling and opposition parties, adding that such a compromise is essential for national unity.
If the impeachment motion passes on Friday, it would mark the first time in democratic South Korea’s history that an acting president is impeached. If Han is removed, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok would take over as acting president.
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