South Korea’s political turmoil deepened on Friday as the National Assembly voted to impeach Acting President Han Duck-soo, two weeks after lawmakers impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. The historic decision marks a significant escalation in the country’s ongoing political crisis, with widespread protests and divisions within the ruling party.
A total of 192 lawmakers voted in favor of Han’s impeachment, surpassing the 151 votes required to pass the motion. Han, who had assumed the role of acting president following President Yoon’s impeachment on December 3, faced intense criticism from opposition MPs, who accused him of obstructing the impeachment process initiated against Yoon.
The immediate cause for Han’s impeachment stemmed from his refusal to approve the appointment of three judges chosen by the National Assembly to oversee President Yoon’s impeachment trial. The opposition had argued that these appointments were vital to ensuring a fair and impartial process. However, Han’s blocking of the nominations triggered an uproar in parliament, culminating in the impeachment motion.
The vote on Han’s impeachment was marred by chaos in the legislature. Lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party (PPP), which supports both Yoon and Han, staged protests after National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik announced that only 151 votes were needed for the impeachment to pass. This was a stark contrast to the 200 votes required to impeach Yoon, leading to accusations of power manipulation. Many ruling party MPs boycotted the vote, while others gathered in the chamber to chant “invalid!” and “abuse of power!” in response to the decision.
As the impeachment motion passed, Han was suspended from his duties, though his removal is contingent on a ruling from the Constitutional Court, which has 180 days to decide whether to uphold the impeachment. In the interim, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will assume the role of acting president.
In a statement following the vote, Han expressed respect for the National Assembly’s decision and confirmed that he would suspend his duties to avoid further escalating the situation. He also pledged to await the Constitutional Court’s verdict on the matter.
This marks the first time in South Korea’s democratic history that an acting president has been impeached, further deepening the political crisis that began with President Yoon’s controversial attempt to impose martial law earlier this month. The ongoing uncertainty has raised concerns both domestically and internationally about South Korea’s political stability.
As the country faces an unprecedented political upheaval, many are watching closely to see how the Constitutional Court will handle these twin impeachments and whether the ruling party can regain control of the situation.
