Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Economy and Finance, has opposed the impeachment motion against Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, stating that “it is tantamount to impeaching the entire cabinet.” On the 27th, Choi presided over a meeting with cabinet members at the Government Complex in Seoul and made this point clear.
He further remarked, “We cannot withstand the political uncertainty caused by a ‘acting authority’s acting authority,'” urging reconsideration of Han’s impeachment motion. Choi emphasized that amid the national emergency, the economy and people’s livelihood, already on thin ice, cannot handle the expanded political uncertainty from having an ‘acting authority for the acting authority.’ He insisted that the economic system and international credibility, which have just stabilized under this acting authority system, should not be shaken again.
He added that in the context of a global trade war, the absence of a national governance control tower, as seen in the surging won-dollar exchange rate, would severely harm our economic credibility, national security, people’s economy, and the continuity of governance.
Choi stressed that such confusion should not persist even briefly and that the cabinet has been doing its utmost to prevent any governance vacuum under the acting authority. He warned that if the impeachment motion passes, the ongoing threat of impeachment would shrink the executive branch’s capabilities, ultimately making the existence of cabinet members meaningless, reiterating his call for reconsideration.
Finally, he expressed his earnest hope that no further political uncertainty would threaten the economy and security, calling once again for bipartisan cooperation to ensure that the government could focus solely on the economy and people’s livelihood.
Later that afternoon, opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, planned to hold a plenary session at the National Assembly to vote on the impeachment motion against the acting authority. If the impeachment motion passes, Han’s duties will be suspended, and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok will take over as acting authority.
Previously, through a public statement, Acting President Han criticized the opposition for pressuring him to exercise the presidential authority of appointment of constitutional judges without a bipartisan agreement. He asserted that he would not appoint constitutional judges without consultation between the rival parties. In response, the Democratic Party stated that Han’s declaration not to appoint constitutional judges, which is part of his constitutional duty, indicated that he was acknowledging his role as “acting in subversion,” and promptly initiated the impeachment process.
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