South Korea’s parliament voted on Friday to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo, marking another dramatic chapter in the nation’s political turmoil.
Han, who has served as acting president since President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment on December 14th following his controversial martial law declaration earlier in the month, now faces his own suspension of powers.
Out of the 300-member parliament, 192 lawmakers supported the motion to impeach Han. According to South Korean law, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is next in line to assume the acting presidency.
The impeachment drive was led by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), which holds a parliamentary majority. The DP accused Han of failing to swiftly appoint three justices to the constitutional court, leaving the judicial body unable to function effectively. Although the DP approved nominees for the court on Thursday, Han declined to formalize their appointments, insisting on bipartisan consensus.
The vote has also reignited debate over the legal threshold required for impeaching an acting president. While some constitutional scholars and ruling party lawmakers argue for a two-thirds majority, parliamentary speaker Woo Won-shik, a DP member, asserted that only a simple majority was necessary.
This latest political upheaval adds to the uncertainty surrounding South Korea’s leadership at a time of significant domestic and international challenges.
Source: Reuters
