On December 27, 2024, South Korea’s opposition-majority National Assembly voted to remove Acting President Han Duck-soo from office. Han, who had been serving as acting president since President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment on December 14, saw his presidential authority revoked following the vote. The impeachment follows Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law and his subsequent ousting, sparking a wave of political instability.
The bill to impeach Han passed with 192 votes, although the ruling People Power Party (PPP) argued that at least 200 votes were needed due to his position as acting president. Despite this, the vote proceeded, and the impeachment measure was approved with a quorum of 151 votes. Lawmakers from the PPP boycotted the vote and staged a protest, claiming the decision was invalid and demanding Speaker Woo Won-shik’s resignation.
Han will remain suspended from his duties until the Constitutional Court reviews the decision and determines whether to uphold or overturn the impeachment. The impeachment of Han Duck-soo has further escalated South Korea’s ongoing political crisis following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol earlier this month.
The Democratic Party, which holds the majority in the National Assembly, accused Han of obstructing efforts to complete Yoon’s impeachment process and of rejecting the appointment of three Constitutional Court judges.
Following the vote, Han expressed regret over his impeachment but said he respected the decision and would suspend his duties to avoid further political instability. In accordance with South Korean law, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is now next in line to assume the role of acting president. Han’s suspension comes at a time when the country is already grappling with the fallout from Yoon’s controversial declaration of martial law earlier this month, which led to his own impeachment.
The conflict surrounding Han’s impeachment centers on the appointment of three new judges to the Constitutional Court. The Democratic Party pushed for these appointments to fill vacancies ahead of the court’s ruling on Yoon’s impeachment, arguing that Han’s refusal to approve the appointments was politically motivated.
Meanwhile, the PPP has expressed concerns that filling the vacancies would increase the likelihood of Yoon’s impeachment being upheld. The Constitutional Court is expected to decide on Yoon’s case soon, with a hearing scheduled for January 3, 2025.
In response to the impeachment, Acting President Choi Sang-mok expressed concern over the potential consequences for the nation. During an emergency press conference, Choi warned that impeaching the acting president would effectively undermine the entire cabinet. He emphasized that the country was already facing an economic crisis, and the growing political instability could worsen the situation, affecting the livelihoods of the people.
Han’s impeachment motion accuses him of enabling President Yoon’s controversial martial law declaration and obstructing efforts to restore the Constitutional Court’s full membership.
The opposition also criticized Han for delaying investigations into Yoon’s alleged rebellion by refusing to appoint independent counsel. The Constitutional Court is currently deliberating whether to proceed with Yoon’s impeachment trial with only six judges, a situation deemed less than ideal, as the Constitution mandates a full bench of nine. Should Choi refuse to approve the judges’ appointments, he too could face impeachment by the opposition-dominated National Assembly.
