South Korea’s Constitutional Crisis Deepens Amid impeachment Bid
South Korea is teetering on the brink of a full-blown constitutional crisis as the main opposition party, the Democratic Party, has introduced articles of impeachment against Acting President Han Duck-soo. This dramatic move, coming just a day before a planned parliamentary vote, further inflames tensions already ignited by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived declaration of martial law on December 3rd.
The Democratic party’s impeachment threat hinges on Acting President Han’s refusal to promptly appoint three justices to fill vacancies on the Constitutional Court, which is currently hearing the impeachment case against President Yoon.While parliament approved three nominees, Acting President Han has yet to formally appoint them, a delay the opposition deems unacceptable.
“it has become clear that Prime Minister and acting President Han Duck-soo does not have the qualification or the will to safeguard the Constitution,” Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae stated.
The impeachment motion, which must be voted on within 24 to 72 hours, cites a range of actions by Acting President Han as grounds for removal, including his veto of a bill to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate alleged wrongdoings by the First Lady. A successful impeachment would elevate the finance minister to acting president.
While the Democratic Party holds a parliamentary majority, a key point of contention remains: whether a simple majority or a two-thirds supermajority is required to impeach an acting president. This legal ambiguity adds another layer of complexity to the already volatile situation.
Kwon Young-se,the interim leader of President Yoon’s ruling People power Party,warned that impeaching Acting President Han would be a grave mistake,potentially plunging the South Korean economy into a “major crisis,” according to the Yonhap news agency. He suggested the move could trigger a financial meltdown.
Adding to the escalating crisis, Acting President Han has maintained he will not appoint the justices until political parties reach a consensus, arguing that unilateral action would harm constitutional order. The proposed appointees include two nominated by the Democratic Party and one by the ruling party, a breakdown the ruling party contests.
The Constitutional Court is scheduled to hold its first hearing tomorrow in president Yoon’s impeachment trial. A two-thirds majority of the nine-member court is needed to remove a president, though the court has stated it can purposeful even with a reduced bench. President Yoon, impeached by parliament on December 14th, has yet to comply with court requests to submit legal documents, prompting criticism and calls for his arrest.
The president’s repeated defiance of legal processes extends to a separate criminal investigation. He missed a summons for questioning yesterday and has been issued another for December 29th. Meanwhile, lawyers for President Yoon’s former defense minister, facing insurrection charges related to the martial law declaration, claim the action was a response to perceived abuses of the democratic process by opposition parties. Kim Yong-hyun, the first official arrested in connection with the martial law declaration, is expected to be indicted soon.
