South Korean Lawmakers Impeach Acting President Han Duck-soo

South Korean lawmakers voted on Friday to impeach Acting President Han Duck-soo, just two weeks after the parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol.

A total of 192 lawmakers voted in favor of Han’s impeachment, surpassing the 151 votes required for the motion to succeed.

Han, who assumed the role of acting president following the impeachment of President Yoon on December 3, was expected to lead the country through its political turmoil. However, opposition lawmakers argued that Han was obstructing efforts to complete the impeachment process for Yoon.

Han will be suspended from his duties once he is officially notified by parliament. In response to the impeachment vote, Han said, “I respect the decision of the National Assembly,” adding that he would “wait for the Constitutional Court’s decision.” He also stated that he would suspend his duties “to not add to the chaos.”

This marks the first time in South Korea’s democratic history that an acting president has been impeached. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is expected to take over as acting president.

The impeachment motion against Han was filed after he blocked the appointment of three judges whom parliament had selected to oversee Yoon’s impeachment case. The Constitutional Court, which is usually made up of nine judges, will now review the impeachment. To uphold the impeachment, at least six of the judges must agree. However, with only six judges currently on the bench, a single rejection would prevent Yoon’s removal from office.

The opposition had hoped that the three additional judges would increase the chances of Yoon’s impeachment being upheld.

Similar to Yoon’s situation, Han’s impeachment will require approval from the Constitutional Court, which has up to 180 days to issue a ruling on whether the impeachment should be confirmed.

The political crisis began on December 3 when President Yoon unexpectedly declared martial law, citing the need to protect the country from “anti-state” forces. The declaration was quickly overturned after 190 MPs voted against it, with some physically breaking into the voting chamber to ensure the vote took place. Yoon later apologized, asserting that he had acted to protect South Korea’s democracy.

Since the martial law incident, Yoon and his allies have faced political and legal consequences, with several top officials from his government arrested and indicted on charges of insurrection. Yoon is also facing an impeachment trial. The suspended president has been defying summons from investigating authorities and remains banned from leaving the country.