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South Korean lawmakers on Friday voted to impeach acting president Han Duck Soo, barely two weeks after Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from the presidency over his imposition of martial law.
A total of 192 lawmakers in the opposition controlled parliament voted to impeach Han significantly more than the simple majority required.
It is the first time in the history of the East Asian country that an interim president has been removed from office.
Finance Minister Choi Sang Mok is to replace Han as acting president, in a statement, he promised that the government would do its best to “overcome the chaos” and ensure that security would not be compromised.
Han had taken on the caretaker role after Yoon was suspended by the National Assembly in an impeachment vote on December 14, in response to his short-lived declaration of martial law on December 3.
Yoon’s decision shocked South Korea and its allies but was rescinded just hours later following massive public resistance.
He labelled his political opponents “anti-state forces” and said that he made the declaration of martial law to protect the nation.
The main opposition Democratic Party accused Han of being complicit in Yoon’s decision and later, as acting leader, of hindering the investigation into Yoon and refusing to complete the impeachment process against him.
South Korea’s Constitutional Court began the impeachment trial of Yoon earlier on Friday.
Over the next few weeks, the court will consider whether the impeachment vote against Yoon in the legislature complied with the constitution.
If the judges confirm the impeachment, new elections would have to be scheduled within 60 days, but if they overturn the impeachment, then Yoon would return to the presidency.
At least six judges must confirm the impeachment, since only six of the nine judge positions on the Constitutional Court are currently filled; one veto vote would be enough to declare the impeachment invalid.
Han had refused to fill the three vacant positions on the court, infuriating the opposition.
Han said that he accepted Friday’s outcome in the National Assembly, but noted that his impeachment must also be reviewed by the Constitutional Court.
The turmoil is having an impact on the economy, not only has South Korean business climate sentiment fallen to its worst level since the Coronavirus pandemic, but the won currency has weakened to its lowest level since 2009
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