The Democratic Party (DP), South Korea’s primary opposition group, filed a motion on Thursday seeking the impeachment of Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The motion, submitted by all 170 DP deputies to the National Assembly, is scheduled for a vote on Friday, according to the legislature’s website.
Han assumed the role of acting head of state after President Yoon Suk Yeol was dismissed on December 14, following the controversial short-term martial law declaration on December 3. The declaration has been widely criticized for plunging the nation into one of its most severe crises in the democratic era. The Constitutional Court is set to determine whether Yoon’s impeachment will be upheld.
While a two-thirds majority vote is necessary to impeach a president, only a simple majority is required for the removal of a prime minister. However, it remains unclear how many votes are needed to impeach an interim president due to the lack of legal precedent. The DP’s motion specifically targets Han in his capacity as prime minister, likely to bolster its chances of success. Ultimately, the Speaker of the National Assembly will decide what percentage of votes is needed for the motion.
If impeached, Han will be suspended from office, pending a review by the Constitutional Court. In the interim, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok would assume the position of acting speaker.
The impeachment effort comes shortly after Han declined to appoint three Constitutional Court judges critical to the review of Yoon’s impeachment case. Han stated that such appointments could only proceed if the ruling People’s Power Party and the DP reached an agreement. Presently, the nine-member court has three vacant seats.
The Constitutional Court is scheduled to hold its first preparatory hearing on Yoon’s impeachment case on Friday. Yoon has faced mounting criticism for allegedly delaying the process, which could take up to six months, by refusing to accept court documents.
Additionally, Yoon is under legal investigation for prematurely ending the martial law declaration on December 4, following a vote by lawmakers at the National Assembly. The Corruption Investigation Office for Senior Officials (CIO), in coordination with police and prosecutors, has summoned Yoon for questioning after two refusals. The joint investigation team has already detained key figures involved in the initial deployment of troops under the martial law declaration, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and former Chief of Staff Park An-soo, on charges of rioting.
