South Korea’s political landscape plunged deeper into uncertainty as the parliament voted to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo, just two weeks after the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Han, who had assumed the role of acting president following Yoon’s suspension, faced backlash for allegedly stalling Yoon’s impeachment process.
The controversy stemmed from Han’s decision to block the appointment of three judges selected by parliament to oversee the president’s case.
Opposition lawmakers, accusing Han of obstructing justice, filed an impeachment motion against him on Thursday.
The vote, held on Friday, was marked by chaos in the National Assembly. Woo Won-shik, the assembly speaker, announced that only 151 votes were required to pass the impeachment bill, rendering the ruling People Power Party’s (PPP) votes irrelevant.
This announcement sparked protests among PPP lawmakers, who chanted slogans like “invalid!” and “abuse of power!” in the chamber before boycotting the vote.
Despite the protests, the motion passed overwhelmingly, with 192 lawmakers supporting Han’s impeachment.
Once officially notified by parliament, Han will be suspended from his duties. His fate, like Yoon’s, now rests with the constitutional court, which has up to 180 days to decide whether to uphold the impeachment.
Responding to the decision, Han expressed his respect for the National Assembly’s ruling, stating, “I will wait for the constitutional court’s decision.”
The dual impeachment of South Korea’s top leaders has plunged the nation into a political crisis, raising questions about the stability of its government.
