On the afternoon of the 26th, citizens at Seoul Station watched Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo give a public address. [Photo credit: Yonhap News Agency]
Foreign media have reported that the Democratic Party’s impeachment motion against Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo indicates an intensifying political crisis in South Korea.
On the 26th (local time), AP News reported on the Democratic Party’s impeachment motion against Acting President Han, stating, “The potential impeachment of Acting President Han could exacerbate political paralysis, halting high-level diplomacy and shaking financial markets.”
The report also highlighted disagreements within South Korea regarding the quorum for passing an impeachment motion against an acting president, noting that Han’s impeachment could face legal uncertainties.
Reuters similarly explained that if Acting President Han were impeached, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs would assume the role of acting president, but there are differing opinions among South Korean legal experts about the quorum required for an impeachment motion.
The media outlet also indicated that the Democratic Party’s impeachment motion could worsen the constitutional crisis triggered by martial law in South Korea.
Bloomberg News assessed that “the political uncertainty is further pressuring the economy at a time when Donald Trump, expected to return to the White House, might adopt various protectionist policies that could impact export-dependent countries like South Korea, potentially slowing down economic growth.”
A vote on the impeachment motion against Acting President Han is expected to take place in the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 27th.
The Democratic Party submitted the impeachment motion after Acting President Han, the previous day, effectively rejected the opposition’s request to appoint three constitutional court justices by declaring he would withhold appointments until an agreement was reached between the ruling and opposition parties.