OAN Staff James Myers
8:16am – Friday, December 27, 2024
South Korea has voted to impeach acting president and prime minister Han Deok-soo, less than two weeks after ousting the former leader.
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The impeachment follows former South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol's unpopular declaration of martial law, which led to his impeachment on December 14.th.
Han's impeachment marks the first time in the country's history that an interim leader has been impeached. He was in office for just 13 days, making him the shortest-serving leader in South Korean history, breaking the record held by his predecessor.
Lawmakers voted 192 to 108 in favor of impeaching Han, exceeding the required 151 votes.
“In order to avoid adding to the confusion and uncertainty, I will suspend my duties in accordance with the relevant laws and await the Constitutional Court's prompt and wise decision,” Han said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Minister of Finance and Vice Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok was inaugurated as president.
After taking office as interim president, he said, “The most important thing right now is to minimize confusion in national politics.'' “The government will do everything it can to stabilize them.”
Lawmakers argued that Mr. Han's refusal on Thursday to appoint three judges to fill vacancies on the Constitutional Court justified his second impeachment in recent days.
Mr. Han said he would put the appointment on hold until the People's Power Party, the Democratic Party and other smaller parties reached an agreement on whether the acting president could appoint such a post.
He said the acting president “should refrain from exercising the president's own significant powers, including appointing constitutional bodies.”
Additionally, Democratic Party House Leader Park Chan-dae told reporters that Han's words were “not the words of the acting president, but the words of someone who acknowledged the rebellion.'' The party has accused the acting leader of aiding and abetting Yun's declaration of martial law earlier this month.
The two main opposition parties disagree on the number of votes needed to remove Han from office. The opposition party argued that only a majority was needed, while the majority party argued that a two-thirds vote was needed because the prime minister was acting president.
The opposition likely has the votes needed for a majority, but falls short of two-thirds.
December 4ththYoon declared martial law in South Korea for the first time since 1980 and the first time the country became a democracy. At the time, Yun claimed that pro-North Korean forces were in control of the National Assembly and other “anti-state” forces.
As a result, opposition members immediately rushed into parliament and jumped over the barricades to lock out the special forces soldiers. However, before the soldiers could enter the chamber, Congress unanimously voted to overturn martial law, which ended six hours later.
The turmoil has shaken South Korea's international image and jeopardized its alliance with the United States.
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