South Korea’s parliament voted unanimously on Friday to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo two weeks after President Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted over his imposition of martial law amid a spiraling crisis of leadership in the country.
The opposition-controlled National Assembly voted 192-0 to remove Han from office, marking the first time an acting president has been impeached in South Korea, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Han will be stripped of the powers and duties of the president until the Constitutional Court decides whether to dismiss or reinstate him, the Associated Press reported. The court is also reviewing Yoon’s impeachment.
“I respect the decision of the National Assembly, and in order not to add to the confusion and uncertainty, I will suspend my duties in line with relevant laws, and wait for the swift and wise decision of the Constitutional Court,” Han said in a statement.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will take over as acting president.
Lawmakers with the ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote, claiming it was invalid because the chamber lacked a quorum and surrounded the seat of assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik, demanding his resignation, the AP detailed.
The PPP claimed the vote was invalid because Woo said passage would require a simple majority of 151 votes in the 300-member chamber – instead of a two-thirds majority needed to impeach a president.
The opposition Democratic Party (DP) introduced the motion to impeach Han listing different reasons: his refusal to appoint justices, his involvement in Yoon’s martial law decree and his refusal to promote two special counsel bills targeting Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee, Yonhap reported.
Yoon was impeached Dec. 14 after declaring martial law, referring to the assembly as a “den of criminals” and vowing to eradicate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.”
The imposition of martial law was swiftly opposed by both political parties and sparked widespread protests throughout South Korea, leading to its reversal hours later.
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