SEOUL, Dec 27 — South Korea’s National Assembly voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo less on Friday, than two weeks after he took over from President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was impeached for his botched imposition of martial law, Yonhap News Agency reported.
A motion to impeach him passed unanimously in a 192-0 vote, marking the first time an acting president was impeached by Parliament.
Han will be suspended from his duties as soon as the impeachment resolution is delivered to him, putting Deputy Prime Minister cum Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok in his position to serve as both the acting president and the acting prime minister.
"I respect the decision of the National Assembly, and in order not to add to the confusion and uncertainty, I will suspend my duties in line with relevant laws, and wait for the swift and wise decision of the Constitutional Court," he said in a statement.
However, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) protested the decision, saying the vote was invalid as the quorum for impeachment was set at a simple majority of 151 votes, which applies to Cabinet ministers, not at a two-thirds majority of 200 votes, which applies to the president.
The quorum was announced by National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik immediately before the vote, sending PPP lawmakers scrambling to encircle the speaker's seat and punch the air while shouting "null and void."
The impeachment motion against Han was introduced by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) the previous day after he refused to appoint additional justices to the Constitutional Court that will adjudicate Yoon's impeachment trial.
The DP listed five reasons for his impeachment, including his refusal to appoint justices, his involvement in Yoon's martial law imposition and his refusal to promulgate two special counsel bills targeting Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee.
The PPP is widely expected to seek an injunction or take other legal steps to nullify Han's impeachment.
— Bernama
