On December 24, 2024, the leader of South Korea’s largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, announced plans to “immediately” initiate impeachment proceedings against the acting President Han Duck-soo. However, the decision was later overturned due to the escalating political uncertainty risk.
Park Chan-dae, the whip of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated on Tuesday that after multiple discussions within the party, it was decided to observe whether the appointment of Constitutional Court judges on the 26th would be delayed before making further plans.
Park Chan-dae mentioned that they will first observe whether Han Duck-soo responds to the aforementioned request before deciding whether to proceed with the impeachment at the plenary session on the 27th.
Earlier that day, Park Chan-dae mentioned in an internal party meeting that Han Duck-soo had made it clear he would not announce the two major independent prosecutor laws at the cabinet meeting. The Democratic Party could only interpret this as a delaying tactic by Han Duck-soo.
The Democratic Party has been urging Han Duck-soo to immediately establish special prosecutors and enact the “Rebellion Prosecutor Act” and the “Kim Jian-hee Prosecutor Act” to conduct independent investigations into allegations of “treason” against President Yoon Suk Yeol and allegations of “stock price manipulation” against First Lady Kim Jian-hee.
On Tuesday, the South Korean government did not include the enactment of these laws in the cabinet agenda but instead called for discussions on these laws and other issues with both the ruling party and opposition parties.
Since President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the parliament earlier this month, Han Duck-soo has been assuming the duties of the presidency.
According to the Newsis news agency, an anonymous South Korean high-ranking official expressed deep regret over the impeachment of Han Duck-soo by the Democratic Party, stating that the international community currently supports the acting presidency system. Impeaching Han Duck-soo may erode this trust and have negative impacts on the economy.
The ruling party, National Power, accuses Han Duck-soo of being threatened for not complying with the Democratic Party’s demands. This is happening as important ally the United States has just resumed orderly communication with the government led by Han Duck-soo in this fourth-largest Asian economy.
President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing trial by the Constitutional Court regarding the impeachment case. If the court accepts the impeachment decision of the parliament, Yoon Suk Yeol will be removed from office; otherwise, his presidential duties will be reinstated.
After the parliament’s vote on the presidential impeachment case on December 14, President Yoon Suk Yeol addressed the nation. Since then, he has not made any public appearances.
In his address, Yoon Suk Yeol stated, “Although I have temporarily paused, the journey we have taken together over the past two and a half years towards the future must not stop, and I will not give up. I will remember everyone’s criticisms, praises, and support and do my best to serve the country until the last moment.”
Yoon Suk Yeol’s lawyer Seok Dong-hyeon mentioned to reporters on Tuesday that Yoon Suk Yeol is unlikely to appear in court on Christmas Day, December 25, as requested by the authorities to defend himself against the martial law investigation.
Seok Dong-hyeon stated that Yoon Suk Yeol will prioritize the trial conducted by the Constitutional Court regarding the removal or reinstatement of his presidential duties.
The first preliminary hearing on the impeachment case against the president at the Constitutional Court is set to take place on December 27.
(Reference: Reuters and Yonhap News Agency)