South Korean opposition postpones decision to impeach acting president

Protesters take part in a rally calling for the ouster of South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol in front of the Gwanghwamun Gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace (top R) in Seoul on December 21, 2024. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / Agence France-Presse)

Seoul, South Korea — South Korea’s opposition said Tuesday it would hold back a decision to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo until later in the week.

The opposition Democratic Party earlier said it would introduce an impeachment motion against Han on Tuesday to protest against the interim leader’s refusal to sign into law special bills to investigate his impeached predecessor.

“We have decided to exercise patience, taking into account the sentiments of the people, and wait until the 26th (Thursday) to determine whether our demands are met,” floor leader Park Chan-dae said.

READ: South Korea opposition vows to impeach acting president

The party originally set Christmas Eve as the deadline for Han to promulgate two special bills investigating suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived imposition of martial law, as well as graft allegations surrounding his wife, Kim Keon Hee.

The conservative leader was stripped of his duties by parliament on December 14 following his brief declaration of martial law 11 days earlier, which plunged the country into its worst political crisis in decades.

Yoon is now waiting for a decision by the Consitutional Court, which requires six votes in favor from its nine-member bench in order for the impeachment motion to be passed. Currently three seats are empty, and can be appointed.

But Han, who stepped in to replace Yoon, rejected the opposition’s demand at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, insisting on bipartisan agreements for the two bills.

Han’s stance “left us no other option but to interpret it as his intention to continue the insurrection by delaying proceedings”, Park told a press briefing earlier.

Yoon is currently under investigation by a joint team comprising police, the defence ministry, and anti-corruption investigators.

Coercive Politics

On Tuesday, Yoon Jong-kun, the Democratic Party spokesperson told reporters that the impeachment motion against Han had been “unanimously adopted” as the party’s official stance.

The reasons for impeachment include not only rejecting the two bills but also “actively participating in and supporting the insurrection” and “attempting to exercise another form of power while the President’s authority had not yet formally ended after the insurrection”.

The opposition says it needs only a simple majority in the 300-member parliament to impeach Han, as this is the threshold for a cabinet member.

The ruling People Power Party, however, argues that a two-thirds majority is required since Han is currently serving as acting president.

Kweon Seong-dong, leader of the ruling People Power Party, said The Democratic Party’s “coercive politics have reached their peak” adding that they are “constantly interfering with the legitimate exercise of the acting president’s authority”.

“This behavior is no different from that of gangsters who threaten retaliation if money is not deposited,” said Kweon.