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Han Duck-soo, South Korea’s prime minister and acting president, speaks during a press conference after lawmakers passed a motion to impeach South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, South Korea, on December 14, 2024.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
South Korean lawmakers on Friday voted to impeach interim President Han Duck-soo, in the second impeachment of a head of state this month following a short-lived martial law on December 3. according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is next in line to take up the mantle of interim presidency, according to South Korean law.
Han’s predecessor, President Yoon Suk Yeol, was deposed just two weeks earlierafter imposing martial law for six hours earlier this month for the first time since a 1979 military coup, citing the need to “protect the constitutional order based on freedom and eradicate the shameful anti- pro-North Korea states, which steal the freedom and happiness of our people,” according to NBC News.
Opposition lawmakers brought the motion against Han on Thursday over the incumbent president’s reluctance to immediately appoint three judges to the Constitutional Court, which is preparing to begin deliberations on whether to uphold Yoon’s impeachment or reinstate him. . Han’s ruling People’s Party has argued that filling the Constitutional Court vacancies exceeds Han’s term as acting president. The Constitutional Court held a first hearing on Yoon’s case on Friday and has 180 days to reach its conclusion.
A simple majority of 151, rather than two-thirds of parliamentary support, was needed to pass Friday’s vote. The assembly approved Han’s impeachment motion with 192-0 in favor, while ruling party MPs boycotted the poll, according to a Yonhap update translated by Google. The agency reports that Agent Han said he will comply with Friday’s decision.
Han’s own impeachment plunges South Korea into renewed political turmoil, shaking the foundations of its democratic success story and pushing the Korean won up 0.40% to 1,472.22 after Friday’s news. South Korea Kospi down 1.02% during the Friday session. Earlier on Friday, the Finance Ministry’s Choi warned of the economic and security impact of Han’s impeachment vote on Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
“In a time of global trade wars and national emergencies, the absence of a control tower for state affairs will cause severe damage to our country’s credibility, economy, national security and government continuity” , Choi said. according to Yonhap.
The International Monetary Fund projects a 2.5% growth in South Korea’s gross domestic product for 2024, as well as an inflationary picture of 2.5% in the period.
