South Korea's Political Turmoil: Acting President Impeached Amidst Crisis

South Korea's National Assembly has impeached acting President Han Duck-soo following his refusal to appoint justices for a critical impeachment trial of ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol. The unanimous decision stemmed from accusations of involvement in martial law and neglect of special counsel bills.

In a historic decision, South Korea's National Assembly voted unanimously on Friday to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo. The move comes just days after he took over from President Yoon Suk Yeol, who himself had been impeached for enacting martial law, reports Yonhap News Agency. The motion to remove Han was passed with a resounding 192-0 majority, marking the first instance of an acting president being impeached by the parliament.

The impeachment was spearheaded by the Democratic Party (DP), which commands a majority with 170 out of 300 seats in the Assembly. The party introduced the motion after Han refused to appoint additional justices to the Constitutional Court meant to oversee Yoon's impeachment trial, according to Yonhap News Agency. Among the five reasons cited for his removal were Han's involvement in Yoon's controversial martial law declaration and his refusal to endorse two special counsel bills targeting both Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee.

The DP had already submitted the impeachment motion during a plenary session on Thursday, Yonhap News Agency reported, adhering to the legal stipulation that such a motion must be voted on within 24 to 72 hours of submission. This move came after the party declared plans to pursue impeachment against Han for his obstruction of the counsel bills, focused on investigating Yoon's martial law's legitimacy and examining corruption allegations concerning First Lady Kim.

The ruling People Power Party insisted that Han should be considered the president for voting purposes, while the DP maintained he should be regarded as the prime minister. The DP declared their intent after a Cabinet session led by Han ended without addressing the two counsel bills. These bills aimed to probe Yoon's brief martial law declaration and allegations against Kim.

DP floor leader Rep. Park Chan-dae criticized the failure to act on the bills, labeling it as a strategy to "buy time and prolong the insurrection," thereby reaffirming the view that Yoon's martial law act was an attempt to extend his hold on power.

(With inputs from agencies.)