South Korean opposition plans to vote on impeachment of acting president

South Korean opposition plans to vote on impeachment of acting president

Kyiv • UNN

 • 15015 views

The Democratic Party of South Korea has introduced a bill to impeach acting President Han Dok-soo for failing to appoint judges. The impeachment vote is scheduled for December 27.

South Korea's main opposition party has introduced a bill to impeach the acting president, Prime Minister Han Dok-soo. The vote is scheduled for December 27. Reuters writes about this, UNN reports

Details

The opposition Democratic Party has threatened to impeach Khan if he does not immediately appoint three judges to fill vacancies in the Constitutional Court. On Thursday, the parliament supported the three nominees, but Khan has yet to officially appoint them.

“It has become clear that Prime Minister and acting President Han Dak-soo is neither qualified nor willing to defend the Constitution,” said Democratic Party leader Park Chung-dae in a statement.

The impeachment proposal, which is to be put to a vote within 24-72 hours, cites a number of Khan's actions as grounds for impeachment, including his veto of a bill on a special prosecutor to investigate the first lady's alleged wrongdoing.

In South Korea, opposition threatens to impeach interim president24.12.24, 07:45 • 16040 views

If Khan is impeached, the Minister of Finance will take over as acting president.

The Democratic Party holds a majority in parliament, but there is disagreement between the parties and some constitutional scholars over whether a simple majority or two-thirds vote is required to impeach a sitting president.

Interim leader of the ruling Yunta Kwon Kyung-se told reporters that impeaching Han would be a mistake that would lead the economy to a “serious crisis,” possibly triggering a financial crisis, Yonhap news agency reported.

Recall

On December 14, South Korea's National Assembly voted to impeach President Yun Seok-yol over the failed imposition of martial law. The Constitutional Court has  180 days to rule on Yoon's future. [If it upholds his removal, Yoon will become the second president in South Korean history to be successfully impeached.

But there is also a precedent when the court blocked an impeachment. In 2004, then-President Noh Moo-hyun was removed by parliament for allegedly violating the election law and incompetence, but the Constitutional Court later reinstated him.