Seoul [South Korea], December 27 : South Korea's National Assembly voted on Friday to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo, less than two weeks after he took for President Yoon Suk Yeol who was impeached for declaring martial law, Yonhap News Agency reported.
A motion to impeach Han Duck-soo passed unanimously in a 192-0 votes, marking the first time South Korea's acting President was impeached by parliament.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP), which holds 170 out of 300 seats in the Assembly, introduced the impeachment motion against Han Duck-soo after he refused to appoint additional justices to the Constitutional Court that will adjudicate Yoon's impeachment trial, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The DP mentioned five reasons for impeachment of Han, including his involvement in Yoon's martial law imposition and his refusal to promulgate two special counsel bills targeting Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee.
The Democratic Party (DP) had submitted an impeachment motion against South Korea's acting President Han Duck-soo and reported it to a parliamentary plenary session on Thursday, Yonhap News Agency reported. According to the law, an impeachment motion must be put to a vote between 24 and 72 hours after it is reported to a plenary session.
Earlier this week, the Democratic Party (DP) announced that it will introduce an impeachment motion against acting President Han Duck-soo over his refusal to promulgate two special counsel bills targeting President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The ruling People Power Party has said that the acting president should be considered the president of South Korea when it comes to the vote. However, the DP has argued that he should be considered South Korea's PM, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The DP announced the decision after a Cabinet meeting presided over by Han Duck-soo ended without reviewing the two bills which demanded special counsel probe into Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived declaration of martial law and corruption allegations involving Kim Keon Hee.
At an earlier party meeting, DP floor leader, Rep. Park Chan-dae said, "There is no other way to interpret this than (as a tactic) to buy time and prolong the insurrection," referring to characterizations of Yoon's martial law imposition as an insurrection.