South Korea’s Opposition Moves to Impeach Acting Prime Minister Over Constitutional Court Appointments
South Korea’s main opposition party submitted an impeachment motion against Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Thursday, accusing him of obstructing the appointment of three Constitutional Court justices ahead of crucial deliberations on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The National Assembly passed motions calling for the immediate appointment of the justices, which has stalled amid a deepening political divide between the opposition and Yoon’s conservative People Power Party. The motion could be put to a vote as early as Friday. Han, who has been serving as acting president after Yoon’s powers were suspended following a December 14 impeachment vote, has refused to appoint the justices without bipartisan consent. His stance has drawn criticism from the opposition, which argues that his refusal to move forward with appointments undermines the Constitutional Court’s ability to review Yoon’s impeachment case. The court, which is expected to begin deliberations on whether to remove Yoon, currently has three vacant seats, with the opposition accusing the government of trying to delay the court’s process in order to protect Yoon’s presidency. If Han is impeached, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is next in line. However, the impeachment vote could face legal challenges, as South Korea’s constitution requires a two-thirds majority to impeach a president, while the legal standard for an acting president remains unclear. The political crisis in South Korea has intensified since President Yoon’s attempted martial law decree on December 3, which led to rebellion charges and months of political instability. Despite his impeachment, Yoon has resisted questioning and blocked investigations into the martial law incident, further fueling the ongoing political turmoil.