South Korea's Democratic Party Delays Impeachment Motion Against Acting President

South Korea's Democratic Party has postponed its impeachment motion against acting President Han Duck-soo. The delay aims to give Han a chance to appoint Constitutional Court justices during Thursday's session. The situation hinges on whether Han takes action, with potential proceedings expected at the end of the week.

The Democratic Party (DP) of South Korea has decided to delay its plan to introduce an impeachment motion against acting President Han Duck-soo. This move comes after Han's refusal to enact two special counsel bills aimed at former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former first lady Kim Keon Hee, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.

DP initially intended to present the impeachment motion on Tuesday evening. However, the party is now postponing the action to see if Han appoints Constitutional Court justices following their approval during Thursday's plenary session, stated DP floor leader Representative Park Chan-dae.

According to Park, the party is exercising patience to determine if their demands will be met by Thursday, which he emphasized as the final opportunity for Han to comply. Should Han fail to cooperate, the DP plans to report the impeachment motion to the National Assembly by Friday.

Under Korean law, an impeachment motion must be voted on within a window of 24 to 72 hours after its introduction in a plenary session. A two-thirds majority is required to impeach a president, while only a simple majority is needed for senior officials. While the ruling People Power Party (PPP) maintains that Han should be treated as the president in this vote, the DP insists he be considered as the prime minister. This disagreement adds another layer of tension to the proceedings.

The DP's decision follows a Cabinet meeting led by Han, which concluded without a review of the bills concerning special counsel investigations into Yoon's martial law declaration and Kim's corruption allegations. The DP warns that Han's inaction might serve as a delay tactic, extending what it describes as an ongoing insurrection.

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-Shik has criticized Han for delaying action on the bills and the court appointments, urging bipartisan discussions to find a compromise. Woo emphasized that the special counsel investigations stem from public demand and are a decision for Han to make. He also insisted that the appointment of Constitutional Court justices should be free from political bargaining.

Nevertheless, a senior official from the Prime Minister's Office expressed regret over the DP's threat of impeachment, urging the party to reconsider its stance.

(With inputs from agencies.)