Han Duck-soo, South Korea's prime minister and acting president, speaks at a press conference after lawmakers passed a motion to impeach South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, South Korea, on December 14, 2024.
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South Korean lawmakers voted Friday to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo, in the second ouster of a head of state this month after a short-term martial law on December 3. , according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is next in line to assume the mantle of acting presidency, according to South Korean law.
Han's predecessor, President Yoon Suk Yeol, was dismissed just two weeks agoafter imposing martial law for six hours at the beginning of the month for the first time since the 1979 military coup, citing the need to “protect the constitutional order based on freedom and eliminate disgraceful groups in North Korea's face against the state, that steals the freedom and happiness of our people,” according to NBC News.
Lawmakers protested the move against Han on Thursday over the acting president's willingness to immediately appoint three judges to the Constitutional Court, which is preparing to begin deliberations on pending impeachment. Yoon or sent back. Han's ruling People Power Party has argued that filling vacancies in the Constitutional Court exceeds Han's mandate as acting president. The Constitutional Court held the first hearing on Yoon's case on Friday and they have 180 days to reach a decision.
A simple majority of 151, rather than two-thirds of parliament's support, was needed to pass Friday's vote. The senate approved Han's impeachment motion by 192-0 in his favour, while ruling party lawmakers boycotted the vote, according to a Yonhap update translated by Google. The group reports that Han has said he would respect Friday's decision.
Han's own impeachment plunges South Korea into renewed political turmoil, shaking the foundations of its democratic success story and driving the Korean down 0.40% to 1,472.22 after Friday's news. South Korea Kospi slip 1.02% during the Friday session. Earlier on Friday, Finance Ministry Choi warned of the economic and security impact of Han's impeachment vote on Asia's fourth largest economy.
“In an era of global trade wars and national crises, the lack of a control tower for state affairs would cause serious damage to the credibility, economy, national security and governance continuity of our country,” said Choi, according to Yonhap.
The International Monetary Fund projects a 2.5% growth in South Korea's gross domestic product for 2024, and also a 2.5% inflation print over this period.
