impeachment of South Korea Acting President Han Duk Su Friday plunged the country into further political turmoil, which is set to come less than two weeks later. Lawmakers impeach President Yoon Seok-yul.
Continually Impeachments The suspension of two of the country's top officials is unprecedented, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Choi Sang Mokis now the new interim leader of South Korea. After taking office, Choi immediately ordered the military to step up preparations to thwart a possible North Korean aggression and asked diplomats to reassure key partners such as the United States and Japan.
“(Han's) impeachment now creates an opening for external threats while also alienating Korea's foreign partners from the international community,” said Doowon, a senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security in Washington. Kim said.
A look at the latest developments in South Korea's political turmoil, which began with Yun's short-lived Dec. 3 martial law.
Why was the acting leader impeached?
Prime Minister Han Deok-soo, South Korea's No. 2 official, became acting leader on Dec. 14 after being impeached by the assembly over Yun's martial law decree that brought hundreds of soldiers to the streets of Seoul and days of military rule. came back In the 1960s-70s, Govt.
Han, a career bureaucrat, sought to reassure major diplomatic partners and stabilize markets. But he became embroiled in a political conflict with the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in the assembly. A major impetus for Han's impeachment was his refusal to accede to the DP's demand that he immediately fill three vacant judges' seats on the Constitutional Court to increase fairness and public confidence in his decision to impeach Yun. .
Reinstating the court's full nine-member panel is critical because a court decision to remove Yoon from office requires the support of at least six justices, and a full bench would increase the chances of Yoon's removal. Han has said he will not appoint judges without bipartisan consent, but critics suspect he is siding with Yoon loyalists in the ruling People's Power Party, or PPP, as he seeks to restore Yoon to power. I want to see it coming.
Choi Jin, director of the Seoul-based Institute of Presidential Leadership, said Han did not have legitimate reasons to oppose the appointment of court judges. But he noted that the DP should not have pursued Hahn's impeachment so quickly.
Are diplomatic consequences expected?
Han's impeachment comes as South Korea tells the world that things are back to normal after the marriage law scandal, which alarmed neighbors, stalled high-level diplomacy and roiled financial markets. placed
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Yun's martial law stunt has surprised policymakers in the United States, Japan and Europe as he has been their key diplomatic partner against shared challenges that include China's assertiveness, North Korea's nuclear threats and threats to global supply chains. are
“South Korea is now in a far more serious crisis of leadership and governance. The DP's political maneuvering is actually putting the country's economy and national security at serious risk,” said Doyeon Kim. “Han had the experience and credentials to deal with the security and financial crises that arose during South Korea's political uncertainty.”
Choi doubts that acting leader Choi will easily engage with world leaders with diplomacy. “We will face international stigma and our international reputation will sink,” he said. “The negative effects on the economy, culture and all other sectors will likely be silent and widespread.”
The ruling party argued that Han's impeachment was “wrong” because it was passed with a simple majority in the 300-member assembly, not a two-thirds majority as claimed by the PPP.
There are no specific laws regarding the impeachment of the Acting President and the People's Party filed a petition in the Constitutional Court to review the vote.
It is not clear when the court will rule on the petition. The Constitutional Court has up to 180 days to decide whether to uphold the impeachment of both Yun and Han, although their decisions are expected soon.
Han called his impeachment “regrettable” but said he respected the assembly's decision.
The court held the first hearing of Yoon's case on Friday. If Yun is removed from office, national elections must be held within 60 days to find his successor. Yun and others face separate investigations by investigative agencies on allegations that they committed rebellion, abuse of power and other crimes in connection with the martial law order.
Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung is the clear favorite to win a possible presidential by-election if Yoon is ousted, according to the poll. But Lee has legal issues of his own, and could potentially be barred from running for president if the appeals and Supreme Court uphold his lower court conviction for violating election law in November.
If he becomes president, his trial will be halted because South Korean law gives the sitting president immunity from most criminal prosecutions.
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