Han Duck-Soo was impeached over martial law fiasco.

South Korea’s acting President Han Duck-soo speaks at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

A majority of South Korea’s parliament voted on Friday (December 27, 2024) to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo.

Prime Minister Han has been acting President since President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached on Dec. 14 over his short-lived imposition of martial law on Dec. 3, and his presidential powers were suspended.

After Mr. Han’s impeachment, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is next in line to assume the acting presidency, according to South Korean law.

Some 192 lawmakers voted to impeach Han out of the 300-member parliament.

Han Duck-soo took over as acting President from President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was suspended following a parliamentary vote over his move to impose martial law on December 3.

But opposition MPs now want Mr. Han, who is also Prime Minister, removed from office too, arguing that he is refusing demands to complete Mr. Yoon’s impeachment process and to bring him to justice.

“Today our Democratic Party impeaches Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in accordance with the people’s order,” said Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung.

“The ‘acting authority’ has transformed into ‘insurrectionary authority’.”

In the impeachment motion put before Parliament, the Opposition said Mr. Han is “intentionally avoiding the special investigation to probe those involved in the insurrection and has clearly stated his intention to reject the appointments of three Constitutional Court judges”.

Such actions, the motion said, are “in violation of a public official’s duty to uphold the law… and serve the public”.

If the Opposition succeeds in its bid, South Korea will see its second impeachment of a head of state in less than two weeks, further destabilising its vibrant political scene.

It will also mark the first time South Korea has impeached an acting President.

Holding an emergency press conference with cabinet members, Mr. Choi pleaded against the opposition’s action.

“An impeachment motion against the acting authority is no different from an impeachment motion against the entire cabinet,” Mr. Choi said.

“Our economy and people’s livelihoods, which are walking on thin ice in a national emergency, cannot bear the expansion of political uncertainty surrounding the acting authority,” he added.

‘True colours’

At the heart of the current row is the composition of the Constitutional Court, which will decide whether to uphold parliament’s decision to impeach Mr. Yoon.

The court is currently short of three judges. While it can go ahead with its six members on the bench, a single dissenting vote would reinstate Mr. Yoon.

The Opposition wants Mr. Han to approve three more nominees to fill the nine-member bench, something that he has so far refused to do, essentially leaving both sides in deadlock.

Mr. Han’s refusal to formally appoint the three judges “revealed his true colours”, said Democratic Party lawmaker Jo Seoung-lae.

The refusal “is a direct challenge to the Constitution and the law”, said Mr, Jo, adding the party would seek to impeach Han to “restore constitutional order and stabilise state affairs”.

Mr. Han has said that he would certify the judges’ appointments only if his ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the opposition reach a compromise on the nominees.

“The consistent principle embedded in our constitution and laws is to refrain from exercising significant exclusive presidential powers, including the appointment of constitutional institutions,” Mr. Han argued.

“A consensus between the ruling and opposition parties in the National Assembly, representing the people, must first be reached,” added the 75-year-old career bureaucrat.

Amid the increasingly protracted political crisis, the South Korean won plummeted to KRW 1480.2 on Friday morning, marking its lowest level in nearly 16 years.

The won initially plunged to a two-year low against the dollar after the declaration of the martial law, as investors already concerned about the state of Asia’s number-three economy shunned the currency.

South Korea’s Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, second from right, who became the country’s acting leader after President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment, salutes during a cabinet meeting at the Government Complex in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 24, 2024. File
| Photo Credit: AP

South Korea’s main opposition party said on Tuesday (December 24, 2024) it will seek to impeach acting leader Mr. Han Duck-soo after he missed an opposition-set deadline to approve independent investigations into impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife.

If realised, Mr. Han’s impeachment would further deepen South Korea’s political tumult and worries by neighbouring countries caused by Mr. Yoon’s stunning December 3 (2024) martial law declaration and ensuing impeachment. Since Yoon’s impeachment, Mr. Han, the country’s No. 2 official, has taken over presidential powers and duties. If he’s impeached too, the Finance Minister is next in line.

The main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority in Parliament, has slammed Mr. Han for vetoing several opposition-sponsored bills, including a controversial agriculture bill. It also urged Mr. Han to quickly appoint justices to vacant seats on the Constitutional Court, which is reviewing Mr. Yoon’s impeachment and will determine whether to dismiss or reinstate him.

Filling the Court’s three empty posts could make conviction more likely, as it requires the support of six of the Court’s nine possible members.

The Democratic Party also demanded that Mr. Han approve bills calling for the appointment of special prosecutors to investigate Mr. Yoon for rebellion over his marital law decree and his wife for corruption and other allegations by Tuesday (Dec. 24). But Mr. Han didn’t do so during Tuesday’s Cabinet Council meeting, calling for the ruling and opposition parties to negotiate.

The Democratic Party floor leader, Mr. Park Chan-dae, responded that there was no room for negotiations about a Mr. Yoon investigation and that his party would begin steps toward an impeachment immediately.

“We’ve clearly warned that it’s totally up to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo whether he would go down in history as a disgraceful figure as a puppet of rebellion plot leader Yoon Suk Yeol or a public servant that has faithfully carried out the orders by the public,” Mr. Park told a televised party meeting.

Korean prosecutors and other officials are separately probing whether Mr. Yoon committed rebellion and abuse of power, but he’s ignored requests by investigative agencies to appear for questioning and allow searches of his office.

Mr. Yoon’s Defence Minister, Police Chief, and several other senior Military Commanders have already been arrested over the deployment of troops and police officers to the National Assembly, which prompted a dramatic standoff that ended when lawmakers managed to enter the chamber and voted unanimously to overrule Mr. Yoon’s decree.

The governing People Power Party said that the opposition’s impeachment threats are interfering with Mr. Han’s “legitimate exercise of authority.” Floor leader Mr. Kweon Seong-dong, a Mr. Yoon loyalist, said the Democratic Party’s “politics of intimidation have reached their peak.”

An impeachment vote would face legal ambiguities. Most Korean officials can be impeached with a simple majority of parliament, but impeaching the presidents takes two-thirds. The rival parties differ on which standard would apply to an acting president.

The Democratic Party controls 170 of the National Assembly’s 300 seats, so it would need support from members of other parties including Mr. Yoon’s own to get a two-thirds majority.

The Constitutional Court has up to six months to determine Mr. Yoon’s fate. If he’s thrown off office, a National election to find his successor must take place within two months.

Seoul:

South Korea’s opposition leader on Sunday urged the Constitutional Court to expedite the process of formalising President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment to ease the “suffering of the people” after his short-lived martial law decree. President Yoon was voted out of top office by lawmakers on Saturday over his “insurrectionary” suspension of civilian rule, which plunged Asia’s fourth-largest economy into some of its worst political turmoil in years.

After Saturday’s vote, Mr Yoon was suspended, with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo serving as interim leader. In a further attempt to stabilise the country’s leadership, the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) has announced it would not seek to impeach Mr Han for his involvement in Mr Yoon’s December 3 martial law decision.

What’s Happening In South Korea Now?

South Korea’s technocratic Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who has stepped in as interim leader, moved on Sunday to reassure the country’s allies and calm financial markets. In his first address to the nation as acting president, Han vowed to “ensure stable governance.”

“I will devote all my strength and efforts to ensure stable governance,” the career bureaucrat said.

He also spoke with US President Joe Biden by phone. “South Korea will carry out its foreign and security policies without disruption and strive to ensure the South Korea-US alliance is maintained and developed steadfastly,” Mr Han told Mr Biden, according to a statement from his office.

As per the statement, Mr Biden told Mr Han that the ironclad US-South Korea alliance remained unchanged and Washington would work with Seoul to further develop and strengthen the alliance as well as trilateral cooperation including neighbouring Japan.

Per the White House’s statement, the US president “expressed his appreciation for the resiliency of democracy and the rule of law in the ROK (Republic of Korea) and reaffirmed the ironclad commitment of the United States to the people of the ROK.”

“President Biden expressed his confidence that the Alliance will remain the linchpin for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region during Acting President Han’s tenure,” it added. 

Mr Han also convened his cabinet and National Security Council shortly after Saturday’s impeachment vote and vowed to maintain military readiness to prevent any breach of national security. 

The 75-year-old interim leader will govern the country for a maximum of eight months, depending on how long the court deliberates on the impeachment motion and what it decides to do. 

When Will The New Government Form?

After losing the impeachment vote, Mr Yoon has been suspended from the office. The country’s top court has 180 days to rule on his future.

In its last such deliberation involving former President Park Geun-hye — who was impeached by parliament over corruption and incompetence allegations — the Constitutional Court took 92 days to review the motion and remove her from office.

The court reportedly requires six votes in favour of impeachment from its nine-member bench. However, with three vacant seats due to disagreements between the ruling and opposition parties, the court must vote unanimously to support the impeachment motion or fill the empty positions in the coming weeks.

If the court confirms Mr Yoon’s removal, a snap election will be held within 60 days. And unlike in typical elections, there will be no 60-day transition period for the president-elect, with the victor taking the oath the day after the vote.

Who Could Be South Korea’s Next President?

According to analysts, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, is the clear frontrunner for the presidency. 

“Lee has demonstrated strong leadership during the turbulent days since the martial law declaration and played a key role in passing the impeachment motion,” attorney and political columnist Yoo Jung-hoon said, according to the AFP report.

Mr Lee rose from humble beginnings as a “factory boy” and a teenage school dropout supporting his family. He has leveraged his rags-to-riches story to build political stardom. In the 2022 election, he lost to Mr Yoon by the narrowest vote margin in South Korea’s electoral history, with a gap of around 0.7 per cent.

But his bid for the presidency has been overshadowed by a series of scandals, including a court ruling in November finding him guilty of election law violations, resulting in a suspended sentence. If the verdict is upheld, it would strip him of eligibility to run for office.

From Mr Yoon’s conservative People Power Party, party leader Han Dong-hoon and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon are seen as potential contenders.

Seoul:

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who became South Korea’s acting president after Saturday’s impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, is a career technocrat whose wide-ranging experience and reputation for rationality could serve him well in his latest role.

With parliament’s impeachment vote against Yoon passed after his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, Yoon is suspended from exercising presidential powers, and the constitution requires the prime minister to take over in an acting role.

In a country sharply divided by partisan rhetoric, Han has been a rare official whose varied career transcended party lines.

He faces a challenging task of keeping government functioning through its gravest political crisis in four decades, while also dealing with threats from nuclear-armed neighbour North Korea, and a slowing economy at home.

His tenure as acting president could also be threatened by criminal investigations into his role in the martial law decision.

Han, 75, has served in leadership positions for more than three decades under five different presidents, both conservative and liberal.

His roles have included ambassador to the United States, finance minister, trade minister, presidential secretary for policy coordination, prime minister, ambassador to the OECD, and head of various think-tanks and organisations.

With a Harvard doctorate in economics, Han’s expertise in the economy, trade and diplomacy as well as a reputation for rationality, moderate demeanour and hard work has made him a regular go-to man in South Korean politics.

Han has been prime minister since Yoon’s term began in 2022, his second time serving in the role after a stint as prime minister under former president Roh Moo-hyun in 2007-2008.

“He has served in key posts in state affairs solely through recognition of his skills and expertise, unrelated to political factions,” Yoon said when appointing Han in 2022, echoing words used to describe him when previous administrations tapped him for key positions.

“I think Han is the right candidate to carry out national affairs while overseeing and coordinating the Cabinet, with a wealth of experience that encompasses public and private sectors.”

Han has experience working with South Korea’s key ally the United States, having been deeply involved in the process of signing the US-South Korea Free Trade Agreement.

Fluent in English, he was appointed South Korea’s ambassador to the United States in 2009, working in Washington at a time when current US President Joe Biden was vice president, and contributed to Congress approving the Free Trade Agreement in 2011.

Han has also served as board member of S-Oil, a South Korean refining unit of Saudi Aramco.

“He is a civil servant through and through who didn’t take on a political colour despite working under (five presidents),” said a former high-ranking government official who declined to be identified.

Han’s role in leadership is expected to last for months until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove Yoon or restore his powers. If Yoon is removed, a presidential election must be held in 60 days, until which Han will stay at the helm.

The main opposition Democratic Party has filed a complaint against Han to be included in the investigations for failing to block Yoon’s attempt at martial law.

If parliament decides to impeach Han, the finance minister is next in line among cabinet members to serve as acting president.

South Korea’s Constitution does not specify how much the prime minister is empowered to do in carrying out the leadership role.

Most scholars say the prime minister must exercise limited authority to the extent of preventing paralysis of state affairs and no more, although some say he can exercise all the powers of the president, as the constitution put no restrictions.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

South Korean lawmakers impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over martial law bid, suspending him from office after the declaration of martial law caused mass outrage and resulted in constitutional crisis.

Lawmakers voted on a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, as a parliament livestream showed.

204 lawmakers in the 300-member house voted in favour of the motion, while 85 voted against. 

Under the constitution, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will be the interim leader.

It will now be decided by the Constitutional Court on whether to reinstate or remove him. This could take up to six months.

On December 3rd, when the martial law was declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol, soldiers were sent to the National Assembly and the officer who led the soldiers said that they were ordered to forcibly remove lawmakers so they wouldn’t be able to reach the 150 votes they needed to overturn the law.

Yoon had declared martial law accusing the opposition of paralysing the government. However, the declaration was voted down and the law rescinded within hours of its imposition.

Last Saturday, Yoon survived an impeachment motion after People Power Party lawmakers boycotted a floor vote but on Saturday some members of his own party helped pass the motion to impeach.

There has not been any immediate reaction from the Yoon, though he was watching the vote from his residence in Seoul as per KBS, the national broadcaster.

Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the opposition Democratic Party, said, “This is a victory for the South Korean people and for democracy.”

Yoon also faces criminal investigations because of his decision to impose the martial law.