South Korea’s Opposition Party Pushes to Impeach Acting Prime Minister among Political Turmoil
South Korea’s political landscape is plunging deeper into turmoil as the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) announced Tuesday its intention to impeach acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. This comes amid ongoing investigations into the short-lived declaration of martial law by impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, which has sparked a fierce political battle in the country. The DP, which holds a majority in parliament, is demanding the appointment of independent investigators to probe Yoon’s martial law decree and corruption allegations against his wife. The party had given Han until Tuesday to approve bills aimed at appointing special prosecutors, but Han, who has assumed the president’s powers following Yoon’s impeachment, did not include the bills in the Cabinet Council meeting agenda, calling for more negotiations between the parties. The DP has responded by threatening to begin impeachment proceedings against Han, accusing him of vetoing key opposition-sponsored bills, including a controversial agriculture bill, and failing to fill vacant seats on the Constitutional Court. The court is currently reviewing Yoon’s impeachment and will play a critical role in deciding whether to reinstate him. The DP insists that appointing justices to the vacant seats could increase the likelihood of Yoon’s conviction. “If Han does not act, we will move forward with impeachment,” said Park Chan-dae, the DP’s floor leader, warning that Han could go down in history as a puppet of Yoon. The DP is also pushing for investigations into Yoon’s martial law decision and his wife’s alleged corruption. Yoon, who is already facing probes for rebellion and abuse of power, has refused to cooperate with investigators, further escalating the political standoff. Several of Yoon’s senior military officials, including his defense minister and police chief, have been arrested for their roles in the martial law decree, which led to a dramatic standoff with lawmakers. The National Assembly ultimately overruled Yoon’s decree. If the DP moves forward with impeachment, legal ambiguities may arise. While most South Korean officials can be impeached by a simple majority in parliament, impeaching a president requires a two-thirds majority. The DP, with 170 seats, would need support from other parties, including members of Yoon’s own, to achieve this threshold.
The ruling People Power Party (PPP), a strong ally of Yoon, criticized the opposition’s impeachment threats, arguing they are undermining Han’s legitimate authority. “The DP’s politics of intimidation have reached their peak,” said PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong, a staunch Yoon loyalist.
