South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, front left, and its floor leader Park Chan-dae, front right. File
| Photo Credit: AP

South Korea’s main Opposition party said it will introduce a bill to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo on Thursday (December 26, 2024) and hold a vote on Friday (December 27, 2024), a move that could deepen the country’s constitutional crisis triggered by a short-lived martial law.

The Opposition Democratic Party had threatened to impeach Mr. Han if he does not immediately appoint three justices to fill the vacancies at the Constitutional Court. Parliament voted in favour of three nominees on Thursday (December 26, 2024), but they have yet to be formally appointed by Mr. Han.

The court is trying the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his December 3 declaration of martial law.

“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 said in a statement.

If Mr. Han is impeached, the Finance Minister will assume the acting presidency. The Democratic Party has majority control of Parliament, but there is disagreement between the parties and some constitutional scholars over whether a simple majority or a two-thirds vote is needed to impeach the acting President.

Han said earlier on Thursday (December 26, 2024) that he will not appoint the justices until political parties reach agreement on the appointments, because for him to do so without political consensus will harm constitutional order.

Two of the proposed appointees for the Constitutional Court up for the vote on Thursday (December 26, 2024) were nominated by the Democratic Party and one by Mr. Han’s ruling People Power Party. The ruling party objected to the breakdown, saying it had not agreed to it.

Han has been under pressure to make the appointments, but political parties have disagreed on whether he has the authority to do so as acting President.

The court is set to hold its first hearing on Friday (December 27, 2024) in the trial to decide whether to remove Mr. Yoon or reinstate him.

Under the constitution, six justices must agree to remove an impeached President, meaning the current justices must vote unanimously to remove Mr. Yoon. The court has said it can deliberate without the full bench.

Mr. Yoon, who was impeached by Parliament on December 14 in a vote joined by some members of his centre-right party, has not submitted legal papers as requested by the court as of Thursday (December 26, 2024), court spokesperson Lee Jean told a media briefing.

On Wednesday (December 25, 2024), he did not respond to the latest summons for questioning in a separate criminal investigation.

Mr. Yoon’s repeated defiance has sparked criticism and calls from the Opposition for his arrest.

South Korea’s First Lady Kim Keon-hee is at the centre of a political storm in what’s been a tumultuous time for President Yoon Suk-Yeol and his administration. Days after the president imposed martial law, albeit briefly, on December 3, social media posts suggested it was meant to protect her from scrutiny.

One meme, reported by the SCMP on December 12, referred to President Yoon as “the greatest lover who declared martial law for his wife.” Other memes compared Kim to historical figures such as Lady Macbeth, known for persuading her husband to commit regicide for power, and Marie Antoinette, often seen as out of touch with the public during crises.

The South Korean Opposition has been critical of the 52-year-old and called for a probe into her alleged offences including stock manipulation and corruption.

Who is Kim Keon-hee?

Born Kim Myeong-sin in September 1972 in Gyeonggi Province, she changed her name in 2008 to Kim Keon-hee. 

Kim graduated with an arts degree from Kyonggi University and founded an art exhibition company, Covana Contents, in 2009. 

She married President Yoon Suk-yeol in 2012. The couple has no children but owns six dogs and five cats. 

Kim is an animal rights advocate, aiming to end dog meat consumption in South Korea before her husband’s presidential term ends. Known for her fashion choices, she was hailed as a “fashionista” during the 2022 NATO Summit for her outfits.

Kim Keon-hee: Controversies

In 2021, it came to light that Kim made false claims on her CV while applying for teaching positions. In 2007, she applied for a position at the University of Suwon, claiming to have worked as the director of the Korea Association of Game Industry (K-Games) since 2002. However, K-Games was established in 2004, and Kim never worked there. She also claimed to have studied at New York University in 2006, but the programme she mentioned was only available to MBA students, and Kim was not enrolled. In 2013, she submitted a resume to Anyang University, claiming she had won a 2004 Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival prize, but the event had no record of her receiving any award, reported a Korean outlet.

Just before Yoon’s presidency in 2022, Kim and her mother were accused of manipulating stock prices for Deutsch Motors, profiting 2.3 billion won. She was later cleared of the charges in October 2023, though her account had been involved. Earlier this year, President Yoon vetoed a bill that sought to investigate his wife over the allegations against her, BBC reported.

The First Lady was also criticised for accepting a $2,200 Christian Dior handbag in November 2022 from a Korean-American pastor seeking influence with the president. While the controversy raised accusations of corruption, prosecutors later decided not to pursue charges.

In a 2023 documentary, Kim allegedly claimed to have significant influence over her husband, saying, “that fool is just a puppet,” and making inappropriate comments during recorded phone conversations.

President Yoon, who served as South Korea’s prosecutor general from 2019 to 2021 before becoming president, has consistently supported his wife. In an interview with The Times, he said his wife “has been suffering a lot” due to his political career and claimed the media has “demonised” her.