South Korea’s political crisis escalated on Thursday when the opposition Democratic Party (DP) presented a motion to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo. The action originates from Han’s unwillingness to appoint judges for three open positions on the Constitutional Court, which will decide whether impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol ought to be removed or restored following his contentious martial law declaration on December 3.
Han’s hesitance has delayed court proceedings and intensified conflicts between the liberal opposition and Yoon’s conservative People Power Party (PPP). National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik charged Han with compromising constitutional responsibilities, noting that his decision not to appoint justices “violates the National Assembly’s authority to choose members of the Constitutional Court.”
Yoon, whose presidential authorities were halted following his impeachment on December 14, is accused of trying to seize power via the martial law announcement. The court needs six votes from its nine justices to officially oust Yoon, but with three positions empty, the decision-making process is stalled.
Han justified his choice, claiming that major presidential authorities, like judicial nominations, ought not to be performed by an acting president without bipartisan consensus. He also faced off against the opposition regarding blocked agricultural bills and his unwillingness to sanction probes into corruption claims involving Yoon and his spouse.
Should Han be impeached, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok would take over, intensifying political instability. Although the DP has a majority in parliament, it is uncertain if impeaching an acting president necessitates a simple majority or the two-thirds requirement used for sitting presidents.
With the Constitutional Court starting pretrial hearings for Yoon’s case, tensions continue to run high. Yoon has disregarded several summons for questioning and obstructed office searches.
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