South Korea’s opposition party on Thursday submitted a motion to impeach acting president Han Duck Soo over his refusal to fill three Constitutional Court vacancies.
It was initially reported the Democratic Party had decided to delay submitting the motion until later this week, but spokesperson Yoon Jong Kun confirmed the bill would be submitted today.
“We have decided to exercise patience, taking into account the sentiments of the people, and wait until the 26th to determine whether our demands are met,” DP floor leader Park Chan Dae said.
The court is set to review rebellion charges against impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol for declaring martial law on 3 December.
Since six of the nine judges on the court must vote to formally remove Mr Yoon from office, a full bench is crucial. But three seats are currently vacant.
The court plans to start pretrial hearings on Mr Yoon’s case soon.
After Mr Yoon was impeached by the parliament and suspended from office, Mr Han, the prime minister, took over as the acting president.
The parliament backed three nominees for the Constitutional Court on Thursday, but Mr Han has yet to formally appoint them.
Mr Park said there was no room for negotiations regarding the investigation of Mr Yoon. Mr Han’s stance “left us no other option but to interpret it as his intention to continue the insurrection by delaying proceedings”, Mr Park told the media, adding that they would “initiate impeachment proceedings against Han”.
The opposition claims that only a simple majority in the 300-member National Assembly is needed to impeach Mr Han, as this is the threshold for a cabinet member.
The ruling party argues that a two-thirds majority is necessary since Mr Han is currently acting as president.
If Mr Han is impeached, finance minister Choi Sang Mok is likely to take over as new acting president.
Mr Yoon has avoided questioning over the rebellion charges and blocked investigations into his office.
The impasse between Mr Yoon’s conservative party and the liberal opposition has stalled governance in South Korea, disrupted diplomacy, and unsettled financial markets.
Additional reporting by agencies.
