SEOUL: South Korea’s main opposition party will submit a Bill to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo on Tuesday (Dec 24), a party spokesperson said, increasing the risk of further political uncertainty in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
The move comes as the country is still reeling from impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived bid to impose martial law on Dec 3 that he partly blamed on the opposition’s propensity to impeach government officials.
Democratic Party (DP) spokesperson Yoon Jong-kun said on Tuesday that the Bill, once submitted, is expected to be introduced to a plenary session on Thursday.
Once an impeachment Bill is introduced at a plenary session, it must be voted on within 24 to 72 hours.
If Han is impeached by parliament, the finance minister would be next in line to lead the government as acting president, according to South Korean law.
The DP, which has a majority in parliament, is taking the step after Han postponed approving legislation to launch a special counsel investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed bid to impose martial law.
Prime Minister Han took over from the suspended Yoon, who was impeached on Dec 14 and 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,” DP’s floor leader Park Chan-dae said.
“There is no way to interpret it other than that he is delaying time.”
With its parliament majority, 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.
Han did not put the Bills on the cabinet’s agenda on Tuesday, instead calling for the ruling and opposition parties to discuss the Bills and other issues together.
An unnamed high-ranking official from Han’s office called DP’s move “highly regrettable”, the Newsis news agency said.
“The international community is currently supporting the acting president system… Impeachment could undermine that trust, and adversely affect the economy,” Newsis cited the official as saying.
Han’s office could not immediately be reached for comment.
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