Han Duck-soo, prime minister and acting president of South Korea, speaks during a news conference after lawmakers passed a motion to impeach South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, South Korea, December 14, 2024.
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South Korean lawmakers voted on Friday to remove acting President Han Duck-soo, which would be the second overthrow of a head of state this month after a short-lived war decree issued on December 3. – reports the South Korean news agency Yonhap.
According to South Korean law, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is next in line to assume the duties of president.
Han's predecessor, President Yoon Suk Yeol, was impeached just two weeks earlierafter imposing martial law for six hours earlier this month for the first time since the 1979 military coup, citing the need to “protect the constitutional order based on freedom and root out the shameful pro-Korean anti-state groups that are stealing the freedom and happiness of our people.” according to NBC News.
Opposition lawmakers filed a motion against Han on Thursday over the acting president's reluctance to immediately appoint three justices to the Constitutional Court, which is preparing to begin deliberations on whether to uphold Yoon's impeachment or reinstate him. Han's ruling People of Power Party argued that filling vacancies on the Constitutional Court exceeded Han's mandate as acting president. On Friday, the Constitutional Court held the first hearing in Yoon's case and has 180 days to issue a verdict.
A simple majority of 151 votes, not two-thirds of parliament's support, was needed to pass Friday's vote. The assembly approved Han's impeachment motion by a 192-0 majority, while ruling party lawmakers boycotted the poll, as per Yonhap's Google translated update. The agency reports that acting Han said he would respect Friday's decision.
Han's impeachment plunges South Korea into renewed political turmoil, shaking the foundations of its democratic success story and causing the value of the Korean winnings to decline 0.40% to 1,472.22 on Friday's news. South Korea Kospi decreased by 1.02% during Friday's session. Earlier on Friday, Choi of the Ministry of Finance warned of the economic and security impact of Han's impeachment vote on Asia's fourth-largest economy.
“At a time of global trade wars and national emergencies, the absence of a control tower of state affairs would cause serious damage to our country's credibility, economy, national security and continuity of government,” Choi said. according to Yonhap.
The International Monetary Fund forecasts 2.5% growth in South Korea's gross domestic product in 2024, as well as inflation of 2.5% over that period.