South Korea’s opposition-controlled National Assembly has voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo, despite vehement protests by the governing party’s politicians.
The move further deepens the country’s political crisis set off by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s stunning imposition of martial law and ensuing impeachment.
Yoon Suk Yeol (South Korean Presidential Office/Yonhap via AP)
Mr Han’s impeachment means he will be stripped of the powers and duties of the president until the Constitutional Court decides whether to dismiss or reinstate him.
The court is already reviewing whether to uphold Mr Yoon’s earlier impeachment.
The impeachments of the country’s top two officials worsen its political turmoil, deepen its economic uncertainty and hurt its international image.
The single-chamber National Assembly passed Mr Han’s impeachment motion with a 192-0 vote.
Politicians with the governing People Power Party boycotted the vote and gathered around the podium where assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik was seated and shouted that the vote was “invalid” and demanded Mr Woo’s resignation.
No violence or injuries were reported.
The PPP politicians protested after Mr Woo called for a vote on Mr Han’s impeachment motion after announcing its passage required a simple majority in the 300-member assembly, not a two-thirds majority as claimed by the PPP.
Most South Korean officials can be impeached by the National Assembly with a simple majority vote, but a president’s impeachment needs the support of two-thirds.
There are no specific laws on the impeachment of an acting president.