Han Duck-soo, the acting interim head of state and prime minister who replaced the impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol in South Korea, has himself been impeached following a National Assembly vote on Friday.
A total of 192 opposition and independent lawmakers in the South Korean legislature voted in favor of the impeachment motion against Han, citing a dispute over the appointment of judges to the Constitutional Court. The court is tasked with ruling on Yoon’s removal. Lawmakers from Yoon’s ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote in protest.
As a result of the impeachment vote, Han was immediately suspended upon receipt of the impeachment certificate by the prime minister’s office. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will now act as president, as stipulated by the constitution.
Under South Korea’s constitutional framework, the removal of a prime minister requires an absolute majority in the 300-seat National Assembly. In contrast, a president’s removal demands a two-thirds majority.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik clarified before the vote that the motion to impeach Han required only a simple majority, as the two-thirds rule applies exclusively to an elected president, not an acting one. Han had automatically assumed the presidency after Yoon’s removal.
PPP lawmakers protested Woo’s interpretation, gathering near the speaker’s podium and chanting slogans such as “Totally invalid” and “President, resign,” before boycotting the vote entirely.
This marks the first time in South Korean history that the legislature has voted to impeach an acting president. Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached on 14 December after declaring short-term martial law on 3 December, a decision that triggered one of the nation’s most significant political crises in its democratic era.
Choi Sang-mok, 61, a career bureaucrat with extensive experience in the finance ministry, will assume the role of acting president. Known for his meticulous management style, Choi holds a law degree from Seoul National University and a PhD in economics from Cornell University.
Han’s impeachment case will now proceed to the Constitutional Court, which has six months to decide whether to uphold or reject the motion. In a statement, Han said: “I respect the National Assembly’s decision. To prevent further turmoil and uncertainty, I am stepping down from my duties in accordance with relevant laws and will await the Constitutional Court’s swift and wise decision.”
The impeachment has intensified political instability in South Korea, with significant economic repercussions. The South Korean won continued to depreciate, hitting a 15-year low of 1,480 won against the dollar during Friday’s morning trading. It later recovered slightly, closing at 1,467.5 won. The benchmark Kospi stock index also dropped by yüzde 1, reflecting investor concerns about the volatile political environment.
Lawmakers from the opposition Democratic Party accused Han, a seasoned technocrat in economics and politics, of refusing to appoint three Constitutional Court judges who had been approved by the legislature. The PPP had previously boycotted this vote as well.
Han defended his decision, stating on Thursday that he would not appoint the judges until the ruling and opposition parties reached an agreement on the appointments. He called this approach “a norm that will never be broken.”
Meanwhile, the nine-member Constitutional Court, which currently has three vacancies, held a preparatory hearing on Friday to begin deliberations on Yoon’s impeachment case. The court is expected to decide within six months whether to uphold or overturn the dismissal. If the impeachment is upheld, Yoon will be permanently removed from office; otherwise, his suspension will end.
