Acting president Han Duck-soo has been impeached just two weeks after Yook Suk Yeol. (Image: AFP / Getty)
’s opposition-controlled National Assembly voted on Friday (December 27) to impeach just two weeks after he took over from President Yoon Suk Yeol for his botched attempt to impose .
The motion to impeach Han passed unanimously in the National Assembly with 192 votes to 0.
It marks the first time the South Korean parliament had impeached an acting president.
Han’s impeachment means he will be stripped of the president’s powers and duties until the Constitutional Court decides whether to dismiss or reinstate him.
The impeachments of South Korea’s top two officials have worsened the country’s political turmoil, deepened economic uncertainties, and damaged its international image.
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Lawmakers with the governing PPP boycotted the vote and surrounded the Speaker’s podium. (Image: Getty)
Lawmakers with the governing People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote and surrounded the podium where assembly Speaker was seated, shouting that the vote was “invalid” and demanding Woo’s resignation. No violence or injuries were reported.
The PPP lawmakers protested after Woo called for a vote on Han’s impeachment motion after announcing its passage required a simple majority in the 300-member assembly, not a two-thirds majority as claimed by the PPP.
The National Assembly can impeach most South Korean officials with a simple majority vote, but a president’s impeachment needs two-thirds support. There are no specific laws on the impeachment of an acting president.
In a statement, Han called his impeachment “regrettable” but said he respects the assembly’s decision and will suspend his duties to “not add to additional confusion and uncertainty.”
He added he will wait for “a swift, wise decision” by the Constitutional Court.
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Yoon declared martial law in a shock late-night move that saw troops move to secure key buildings. (Image: Yonhap)
The Democratic Party listed five reasons for his impeachment, including his involvement in Yoon’s botched martial law attempt and the demand that Han approves the assembly’s nominations of three new Constitutional Court justices to restore its full nine-member bench ahead of its ruling on Yoon’s impeachment.
This is a politically sensitive issue because a court decision to dismiss Yoon as president needs support from at least six justices. Adding more justices will likely increase the prospects for Yoon’s ouster.
The PPP is expected to seek an injunction or take legal steps to nullify the impeachment.
Yoon was impeached earlier this in December, less than two weeks after he tried to seize power by declaring martial law across the country and deploying the military. The enactment, the first of its kind in over 40 years in South Korea, but has caused much longer-term political turmoil.
He declared martial law in a shocking late-night move that saw troops move to secure key buildings and infrastructure before being stood down. Yoon’s defence minister, police chief and several other senior military commanders have already been arrested for deploying troops and police officers to the National Assembly.
South Korean investigative agencies are probing whether Yoon’s decree committed rebellion and abuse of power. Yoon has repeatedly ignored authorities’ requests to appear for face-to-face questioning.