hankyoreh

Acting President Han Duck-soo speaks at an extraordinary Cabinet meeting at the Seoul government complex on Dec. 19, 2024. (pool photo)

Lawmakers introduced a motion to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo during a plenary session on Thursday, with the National Assembly scheduled to vote on the bill on Friday.
 
The decision was made after Han, who is suspected of helping orchestrate an insurrection on Dec. 3, announced Thursday that he would postpone the appointment of Constitutional Court justices until the ruling and opposition parties reach a bipartisan agreement.
 
By ignoring public sentiment overwhelmingly in favor of the speedy impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk-yeol for his instigator role in what many view as an attempt at insurrection, and by refusing to respond to the National Assembly’s ultimatum to appoint Constitutional Court justices by the end of the day on Thursday, Han has been criticized as not only shirking his responsibility to normalize the country’s dizzying affairs but also plotting a second power grab. 
 
The National Assembly held a plenary session on Thursday afternoon, during which it passed a bill to elect three justices recommended by the parliament to the Constitutional Court and reported a bill to impeach Han.
 
Both Ma Eun-hyeok and Jeong Gye-seon, judges nominated by the Democratic Party, and Cho Han-chang, nominated by the People Power Party, received 195 votes, passing the quorum (151) for the ballot, which requires a simple majority of the members present.
 
The Democratic Party brought the impeachment bill to the plenary session as Han refused to officially appoint the nominees to the Constitutional Court, calling for the ruling and opposition party to meet a consensus in a last-minute public address on Thursday morning.
 
“The opposition is pressuring the acting president to exercise the president’s power to appoint constitutional institution’s personnel without the consensus of the ruling and opposition parties,” Han said. “If the ruling and opposition parties agree and submit a proposal, judges will be promptly appointed.”
 
However, the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court have ruled that it is not in violation of constitutional principles for the acting president to appoint constitutional judges recommended and elected by the National Assembly.
 
The National Assembly passed the motion to impeach Han in a plenary session on Friday, with all 192 lawmakers present voting in favor. While the impeachment of an acting president is unprecedented, it is widely believed that Han is adding to the chaos rather than restoring the constitutional order that Yoon has disrupted.
 
On Thursday, the opposition justified its push to impeach Han by claiming that former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun “reported to Han before suggesting the invocation of martial law to the president on Dec. 3.”
 
Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae issued a statement shortly after Han’s speech, slamming Han for “admitting to not being an acting president, but an acting insurrectionist.”
 
“Kim’s statement points to how Han was yet another key accomplice in Yoon’s insurrection. It is clear that Han is neither qualified nor willing to defend the Constitution,” Park added.
 
The Democratic Party also agreed to file a complaint with the police National Office of Investigation on Friday, saying Han was derelict in his duties by failing to recommend a candidate for a permanent special prosecutor to investigate the events of Dec. 3.
 
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik also addressed the issue on Thursday. 

“The postponement and refusal to appoint Constitutional Court justices elected by the National Assembly is unjustified. The acting president must fulfill the responsibilities as demanded of him by the Constitution, the law and the common sense of the Korean public. A decision must be made to alleviate political instability in the eyes of the public,” Woo said. 
 
“We cannot allow the government to be thrown into chaos once more over the implementation of the procedures set by law,” Woo emphasized. Such comments suggest that Woo intends to rein in Han’s disruptive behavior if the need arises. 
 
Civil society has also turned on Han for neglecting his duties. In a commentary on Thursday, the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy wrote, “It is unacceptable for Han to interfere with Yoon’s impeachment and investigations into attempted insurrection. He should not forget that he was appointed as acting president to minimize national turmoil despite his involvement in the insurrection.”

By Um Ji-won, staff reporter; Goh Gyoung-ju, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [[email protected]]