South Korea’s main opposition party said it will start impeachment proceedings against Prime Minister and Acting President Han Duck-soo, with a meeting set for this afternoon to discuss the matter.
Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, made the comments at a meeting that was broadcast live on Tuesday. The opposition party said Han has indicated at the cabinet meeting that he won’t promulgate the special counsel bills that the DP has been pushing for.
The bills seek to investigate insurrection charges against embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol and multiple allegations against First Lady Kim Keon Hee. Yoon declared martial law on Dec. 3 to address “anti-state forces,” but rescinded it six hours later after parliament voted it down. The move sparked a constitutional crisis and public outrage, leading to Yoon’s impeachment.
Han has assumed duties as acting president on Dec. 14 after Yoon’s impeachment, which is now under review by the Constitutional Court to determine whether he will be permanently removed from office.
A spokesman for the DP told Bloomberg News that the party will meet at 3 p.m. local time to discuss the potential impeachment of Han.
Two spokespeople from Han’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comments. The DP has accused Han of aiding Yoon’s martial law attempt and reported him to authorities. Han said previously he tried to block Yoon’s martial law declaration, and apologized for failing to do so.
Kweon Seong-dong, floor leader of the ruling People Power Party, said the opposition is pushing for Han’s impeachment because their demands have not been met. “This is no different from a gangster threatening to retaliate,” he said at a party meeting.
Kweon added that the DP is pressuring the acting president in an attempt to push for an early presidential election “before DP leader Lee Jae-myung’s judicial risk becomes more serious.”
Lee has emerged in recent polls as the most likely replacement for Yoon, but his legal challenges make his path to the presidency uncertain. An appellate court is reviewing Lee’s November conviction for making false claims during his 2021 presidential campaign. The court is set to rule on his appeal by February. If the verdict stands, Lee would be barred from running for office for 10 years.
Yonhap separately reported on Tuesday that Yoon is unlikely to appear for questioning on Dec. 25, and his focus is on explaining his position to the judges at the Constitutional Court. Investigators warned previously that if he continues to skip the questioning, they may consider requesting an arrest warrant.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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