South Korea’s main opposition party yesterday vowed to impeach South Korean Prime Minister and acting president Han Duck-soo, but reversed an earlier plan and would wait until later in the week, party officials said, as the risk of further political uncertainty heightened.
The move came as the country is reeling from impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s short-lived bid to impose martial law on Dec. 3, which he partly blamed on the opposition’s propensity to impeach government officials.
Opposition Democratic Party (DP) floor leader Park Chan-dae said the party would wait until later this week to decide whether to go ahead with the plan to impeach Han.
Photo: Yonhap news agency via AP
Earlier, the party said it would introduce a bill to impeach Han yesterday.
The DP, which has a majority in the South Korean National Assembly, is taking the step after Han postponed signing legislation to launch a special counsel investigation into Yoon’s failed bid to impose martial law.
It said Han was acting against the will of the people, effectively aiding Yoon, whose powers have been suspended after the legislature voted to impeach him on Dec. 14.
Once an impeachment bill is submitted then formally introduced at a plenary session, it must be voted on within 24 to 72 hours.
If Han is impeached, the finance minister would be next in line to lead the government as acting president, under South Korean law.
Han took over from the suspended Yoon, who faces a Constitutional Court review on whether to oust him or restore his powers.
“Acting president Han made it clear at today’s Cabinet meeting that he would not greenlight the special prosecution law,” Park said. “There is no way to interpret it other than that he is delaying.”
With its legislative majority, the DP passed bills this month to appoint a special counsel to pursue charges of insurrection, among others, against the conservative Yoon, and to investigate his wife over a luxury bag scandal and other allegations.
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