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South Korea’s opposition lawmakers have passed a resolution impeaching the country’s prime minister and leader Han Duck-soo, less than two weeks after parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol.
This comes after Han refused to appoint judges to the courts appointed by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP).
“Han has shown himself to be a revolutionary, not a president,” said DP leader Park Chan-dae on Thursday.
The opposition also accused Han of helping to test Yoon’s martial law on Dec. 3. Han initially apologized for not being able to stop it.
Han also vetoed several bills spearheaded by the opposition, including one that called for a special investigation into Yoon’s interim declaration of martial law.
The resolution is expected to be voted on within the next 24 to 72 hours.
In order for this to happen, 151 out of 300 MPs must vote.
Currently, the DP party has 170 seats out of 300 seats in the parliament. The opposition party has 192 seats.
Opposition parties were hoping that Han would not step down while serving as the country’s acting president, and that he would allow the bills to pass.
But instead he has become tougher, fueling political tensions.
On Tuesday, Han ended a cabinet meeting without reviewing two opposition-backed bills that called for special counsel to investigate the martial law declaration and corruption charges against first lady Kim Keon Hee.
He said that he did not put them on the agenda in order to give enough time for the government officials and the opposition to get enough time to reach an agreement.
But DP leader Park Chan-dae accused him of “buying time and prolonging the insurgency”.
“We have clearly warned that it is up to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo whether he will go down in history as a disgraced person, as a puppet of the rebel leader Yoon Suk Yeol, or as a government official who has faithfully carried out public orders,” said Park. at the party’s radio conference.
And on Thursday, Han said he would not appoint the three judges the opposition-controlled National Assembly appointed to the Supreme Court – which is debating whether Yoon should be impeached – unless the opposition parties agreed.
In this regard, Park said that “it has become clear that Han Duck-soo is neither qualified nor willing to defend the constitution,” adding that the opposition would “immediately” file a motion to oppose it.
Han’s ruling People Power Party said the attacks by the opposition had undermined Han’s “legitimate authority”, while a senior official in the Prime Minister’s Office condemned the attacks as “very sad”.
Han stepped in as interim president after Yoon’s ouster earlier this month. If lawmakers vote to remove Han, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will be next in line.
The latest developments in the country’s political unrest come as the Seoul District Court is debating whether Yoon should be banned from office.
The club is expected to hold its first meeting this weekend.
It is unclear whether Yoon himself will stand trial, but protesters have vowed to continue calling for Yoon’s impeachment during the trial.
Yoon is also being investigated for treason for failing to place the country under martial law.
He has refused to accept several summonses issued to him, and investigators have warned that they will issue a warrant for his arrest if he continues to ignore them.
Several officials – including former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, former interior minister Lee Sang-min and army chief Park An-su – are also being investigated.
Additional reporting by Jake Kwon and Hosu Lee in Seoul
