South Korea’s opposition moves to impeach acting president

SEOUL: South Korea´s opposition said on Thursday it filed an impeachment motion against acting president Han Duck-soo, in an escalating row over the composition of the Constitutional Court which would decide whether to remove his predecessor from office.

South Korea fell in a political crisis when President Yoon Suk Yeol, currently suspended, declared martial law on December 3.

Yoon was stripped of his duties by parliament on December 14 over the dramatic declaration, but a constitutional court ruling upholding the decision by lawmakers is necessary to complete the impeachment process.

The court is however currently short of three judges. While it can go ahead with its six members on the bench, a single dissenting vote would reinstate Yoon.

The opposition wants Han to approve three more nominees to fill the 9-member bench, something that he has so far refused to do, essentially leaving both sides in a deadlock.

The opposition Democratic Party therefore says the acting president should be impeached too.

“We have filed the motion... and will report it to the plenary session today,” MP Park Sung-joon told reporters at the National Assembly of the action against Han. “We will put it to a vote tomorrow.”