Two weeks after the National Assembly passed the impeachment bill against President Yoon Seok-yeol, the Korean government passed the impeachment bill against Acting President Han Deok-soo.
A total of 192 lawmakers voted in favor of his impeachment, which is more than the 151 votes needed for impeachment.
Prime Minister Han took over the role after Prosecutor General Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly on December 3 following a failed attempt to declare martial law.
One candidate was supposed to lead the country out of political turmoil, but opposition lawmakers claimed he was rejecting calls to complete Yoon’s impeachment process.
As the vote took place on Friday, the National Assembly was in chaos.
When National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik announced that only 151 votes were needed to pass the impeachment bill, People Power Party lawmakers led by Rep. Yoon and Rep. Han protested.
This means that, unlike the 200 votes needed to impeach Representative Yoon, the votes of ruling party members are not needed for a lawmaker to be impeached in the National Assembly this time.
Ruling party lawmakers gathered in the center of the voting room and shouted “Invalid!” and “Abuse of power!” In response, calls were made for the chairman’s resignation. Most of them boycotted the vote.
Representative Han will be suspended from office as soon as an official notice is issued by the National Assembly.
Like Candidate Yoon, the impeachment of a candidate must also be confirmed by the Constitutional Court, and the Constitutional Court must decide within 180 days whether to file an impeachment.
One lawmaker said, “I respect the decision of the National Assembly,” and “I will wait for the decision of the Constitutional Court.”
The opposition party filed an impeachment bill against a lawmaker for the first time on Thursday after the lawmaker interfered with the appointment of three judges chosen by the National Assembly to oversee Yoon’s case.
Korea’s Constitutional Court generally consists of nine judges. In order for the impeachment decision to be maintained, at least six judges must support the impeachment of President Yoon.
Currently, there are only six judges. Rep. Yoon will not be dismissed after one dismissal.
The opposition party hoped that three additional candidates would help increase the likelihood of President Yoon’s impeachment.
Minister of Strategy and Finance Choi Sang-mok will replace Prime Minister Han as acting president.
Prime Minister Han’s dismissal is likely to further deepen the political stagnation and uncertainty that Korea currently faces.
On Friday, the value of the won against the dollar also fell to its lowest level since the global financial crisis 16 years ago. Both sides are blaming each other for the confusion.
