South Korean Parliament Impeaches Acting President Han Duck-soo

South Korea’s political crisis escalated as lawmakers voted to impeach Acting President Han Duck-soo on Friday. This move comes on the heels of former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s controversial decision to impose martial law, which plunged the country into turmoil and led to his own impeachment two weeks ago.

The impeachment of Han, who has been acting as president since Yoon’s suspension, came after a motion passed with a 192-0 vote in the National Assembly. The opposition parties led the charge in the impeachment, despite a boycott by the governing People Power Party (PPP), which denounced the vote as “invalid.”

As per South Korean law, Han’s powers and duties will be suspended until the country’s Constitutional Court delivers its verdict on whether he should be reinstated or permanently removed from office. The Constitutional Court has six months to deliberate on Han’s fate, during which time the court will also consider the future of Yoon, who is facing trial for his role in the martial law decree.

The political impasse stems from Han’s resistance to opposition-led efforts to appoint three new judges to the Constitutional Court. These judges would play a pivotal role in deciding Yoon’s impeachment, as at least six votes are required for the motion to pass. The controversy surrounding the appointment of these judges has fueled tensions, with the PPP opposing Han’s presidential authority to make the appointments.

In a series of explosive developments, Yoon’s decree to impose martial law led to a crackdown involving the military, with senior officials, including the defense minister and police chief, arrested for deploying troops to parliament. Investigations are now underway into whether Yoon committed rebellion or abuse of power during the crisis.