By Eric Vandenbroeck and co-workers

At an earlier point during South Korea's tumultuous period, we reported about South Korea with today an unexpected high point.

South Korea’s parliament voted to impeach Prime Minister and acting president Han Duck-soo on Friday, less than two weeks after parliament stripped President Yoon Suk Yeol of his powers over his short-lived martial law order that plunged the country into political disarray.

A total of 192 lawmakers voted to impeach Han, more than the 151 votes needed in the 300-member legislature.

South Korea’s suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol authorized the military to fire their weapons if needed to enter parliament during his failed bid to impose martial law, according to a prosecutors’ report seen by AFP on Dec 28.

The 10-page summary from former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun’s prosecution indictment report, which was provided to the media, also says Mr Yoon vowed on Dec 3 to declare martial law three times if necessary.

 Yoon, who was stripped of his duties by the National Assembly this month, is under investigation for his short-lived attempt to scrap civilian rule, which plunged the country into political turmoil and led to his impeachment.

Chaotic scenes unfolded in parliament during the vote, as lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party pumped their fists and chanted “Abuse of power” after National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik declared only a simple majority would be needed to approve the impeachment motion against Han.

A simple majority is the typical threshold needed to oust a sitting prime minister, while a two-thirds majority is needed to impeach a president.

Han – who assumed the role after parliament voted to impeach Yoon – said in a statement he respected the decision and “will suspend my duties under relevant laws to avoid further confusion and uncertainty.”

A total of 192 lawmakers voted for his impeachment, more than the 151 votes needed for it to succeed.

Prime Minister Han took over the role after President Yoon was impeached by parliament following his failed attempt to impose martial law on 3 December.

Han was supposed to lead the country out of its political turmoil, but opposition MPs argued that he was refusing demands to complete Yoon's impeachment process.

Following parliament’s vote to impeach Han, the finance minister and deputy prime minister, Choi Sang-mok, is now acting president.

Han’s impeachment comes as the country has been embroiled in weeks of political turmoil and uncertainty following Yoon’s martial law decree on December 3, which lasted only six hours and sparked mass protests.

Lawmakers, including at least a dozen ruling party members, voted to impeach Yoon two weeks ago after he repeatedly refused to step down.

The Constitutional Court has up to six months to decide whether to uphold or reject the impeachment vote. It has vowed to take the case as a “top priority,” among other impeachment cases the opposition has pushed for against members of Yoon’s administration, including the justice minister, prosecutors, and other senior officials.

The nine-member court, however, currently only has six justices, due to a delay in filling vacancies left by retired justices, further complicating matters.

Under South Korean law, at least six out of nine justices must approve an impeachment for it to be upheld.

The court has not yet decided whether the six sitting justices alone can rule on Yoon’s fate. But if they can, all six would have to vote in support of the impeachment to formally remove Yoon.

“The acting president has transformed into an ‘acting insurrection leader,’” South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said in a press conference Friday, claiming the ruling party had “abandoned its duty to uphold the Constitution,” and acts as Yoon’s “loyal guard.”

 

Dramatic Scenes in Parliament

Chaos erupted in parliament as the vote was held on Friday.

Lawmakers from Yoon and Han's ruling People Power Party (PPP) protested after National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik announced that only 151 votes would be needed to pass the impeachment bill.

This meant that, unlike the 200 votes required for Yoon's impeachment, no votes from ruling lawmakers would be needed this time for Han to be impeached in parliament.

Ruling party MPs gathered in the middle of the voting chamber chanting, "invalid!" and "abuse of power!" in response, and called for the Speaker to step down. Most of them boycotted the vote.

Han will be suspended from his duties as soon as he is officially notified by parliament.

The opposition first filed an impeachment motion against Han on Thursday after he blocked the appointment of three judges that parliament had chosen to oversee Yoon's case.

Korea's Constitutional Court is typically made up of a nine-member bench. At least six judges must uphold Yoon's impeachment in order for the decision to be upheld.

There are currently only six judges on the bench, meaning a single rejection would save Yoon from being removed.

The opposition had hoped the three additional nominees would help improve the odds of Yoon getting impeached.

This is the first time an acting president has been impeached since South Korea became a democracy.

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is set to replace Han as acting president.

Like Yoon, Han's impeachment will need to be confirmed by the constitutional court, which has 180 days to rule on whether the impeachment should be upheld.

"I respect the decision of the National Assembly," Han said Friday, adding that he "will wait for the Constitutional Court's decision."

He also said that he would suspend his duties to "not add to the chaos".

Lee Jae-myung delivers a statement on the impeachment motion against Han Duck-soo at the National Assembly on December 27.

Han’s ruling party filed a dispute with the Constitutional Court over Friday’s vote, with floor leader Kweon Seong-dong declaring the result “null and void.”

The vote to impeach Han comes the same day as the Constitutional Court holds its first public hearing on Yoon’s impeachment trial, starting a process to decide if he will be removed from office permanently. Yoon is not required to attend the meeting.

If the Constitutional Court upholds Yoon’s impeachment, he will become the shortest-serving president in South Korea’s democratic history. The country must then hold new presidential elections within 60 days.

Meanwhile, the former prosecutor has been banned from leaving the country and is facing a string of investigations, including potential charges of leading an insurrection – a crime punishable by life imprisonment or even the death penalty.

 

 

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