South Korea’s main opposition party introduced a bill on Thursday to impeach interim President Han Duck-soo, a move that could deepen the constitutional crisis triggered by the short-lived martial law.
The opposition Democratic Party has threatened to remove Han if he does not immediately appoint three judges to fill vacancies on the Constitutional Court. Parliament expressed support for the three candidates on Thursday, but Han has not yet formally nominated them.
The court is hearing the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his declaration of martial law on December 3.
“It has become clear that Prime Minister and interim President Han Duck-soo does not have the qualifications or will to protect the Constitution,” Democratic Party leader Park Chan-dae said in a statement.
The impeachment motion, which is expected to be voted on within 24 to 72 hours, cited a number of actions by Han as the basis for his impeachment, including vetoing a special prosecutor’s bill to investigate alleged wrongdoing by the first lady.
If Han is removed, the finance minister will take over as interim president.
The Democratic Party controls a majority of Parliament, but there is disagreement between the parties and some constitutional scholars over whether a simple majority or two-thirds vote is needed to remove the interim president.
The acting leader of Yoon’s ruling party, Kwon Young-se, told reporters that impeaching Han would be a mistake that would send the economy into a “serious crisis,” possibly triggering a financial crisis, the newspaper reported. Yonhap news agency.
Last Thursday, Han said he would not appoint judges until political parties reached an agreement on appointments, saying it would undermine the constitutional order if he did so without that consensus.
Han has been under pressure to make the appointments, but political parties disagree over whether he has authority as interim president.
The court is expected to hold the first hearing in the trial on Friday to decide whether to remove Yoon or reinstate him.
According to the Constitution, six justices must agree to remove a president, meaning the current justices must vote unanimously to remove Yoon. The court said it can rule without the full nine-member bench.
Yoon, who was removed from office by Parliament on Dec. 14 in a vote attended by some members of his center-right party, did not respond to the court’s request to produce legal documents until Thursday, his office said. voice, Lee Jean, at a press conference.
Source: Terra
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