Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People’s Party, said in a public speech on Sunday that he would not get involved in foreign affairs or domestic affairs until Chairman Yoon resigns early, and that Prime Minister Han Deok-soo will oversee state affairs in the meantime.
Representative Han said, “The president will not be involved in any state affairs, including diplomacy, until he leaves office.”
However, Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, defined this plan as “an illegal and unconstitutional second civil war and a second coup.”
Representative Kim Min-seok of the Democratic Party of Korea also criticized this plan, saying, “No one gave the representative of the Democratic Party of Korea such decision authority.”
“The announcement by the prime minister and the ruling party that they will jointly exercise presidential authority that no one has granted them is clearly unconstitutional,” he said, according to the Korea Herald.
The Pentagon confirmed in a briefing on Monday that the president will remain commander-in-chief of the armed forces. This means that even if a foreign policy incident, including a threat from North Korea, occurs, Yoon can theoretically still make administrative decisions.
Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University, said in an interview with the Korea Herald, “The president can take the initiative again whenever he changes his mind.”
“If Mr. Yoon insists, no one will be able to stop it,” he said.
