South Korea’s opposition-controlled National Assembly votes to impeach acting President Han

South Korea’s opposition-controlled National Assembly voted Friday to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo despite vehement protests by governing party lawmakers, further deepening the country’s political crisis set off by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s stunning imposition of martial law and ensuing impeachment.

Han will lose his powers and duties as president until the Constitutional Court makes a decision on whether or not to reinstate him. The court has already begun to review whether Yoon’s previous impeachment should be upheld. The impeachment of two top officials in the country has exacerbated political unrest, heightened economic uncertainty and damaged its international reputation.

The National Assembly’s single chamber passed Han Han’s motion of impeachment with 192-0 votes. The People Power Party, the ruling party in South Korea, boycotted and surrounded Woo Won Shik’s podium. They shouted that the vote is “invalid”, and demanded Woo to resign. There were no reports of violence or injury.

PPP legislators protested when Woo called for the vote on Han’s impeachment after Woo announced that its passage only required a simple majorit in the 300 member assembly and not the two-thirds as claimed by PPP. The National Assembly can impeach most South Korean officials with a simple majority, but the impeachment of a president requires two-thirds support. The impeachment process of an acting President is not governed by any specific laws.

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Han said that his impeachment was “regrettable”, but he respected the decision of the assembly and would suspend his duties in order to “not cause further confusion and uncertainty”. He also said that he would wait for a “quick, wise decision” from the Constitutional Court.

Han’s power was officially suspended when copies of the impeachment documents were sent to him and to the Constitutional Court. Choi Sangmok, the deputy prime minister and minister of finance, assumed control.

Choi’s Office said that Choi had instructed the military, later Friday, to increase its readiness in order to prevent North Korea miscalculating the situation and initiating provocations. He also instructed the foreign ministry that it should inform the U.S. and Japan, as well as other major partners, of South Korea’s unchanged foreign policy.

Han, the conservative Yoon appointed as prime minister, became acting President after Yoon was impeached two weeks ago by the National Assembly for his short-lived declaration of martial law on Dec. 3. Han clashed quickly with the Democratic Party, the main liberal opposition party. He resisted efforts by the opposition to fill the three vacant seats at the Constitutional Court and establish an independent investigation of Yoon’s decree on martial law.

The Democratic Party is demanding that Han approves the nominations by the assembly of three new Constitutional Court Justices in order to restore the full nine-member bench before the court rules on Yoon’s imposition. This is a highly political issue, as a court’s decision to remove Yoon from office requires the support of at least six judges. Adding more justices would likely increase Yoon’s chances of being removed. Yoon’s allies within the ruling party are against the appointment of three justices. They say Han should not exercise his presidential authority in making the appointments until Yoon is formally removed.

Han stated on Thursday that he would not appoint justices without the consent of both parties. The Democratic Party, who hold a majority of seats in the assembly and submitted an impeachment against Han, passed three bills that called for the nomination of three justices.

Investigative agencies in South Korea are investigating whether Yoon violated the law of marriage and abused his power by issuing it. Yoon has ignored repeated requests from authorities to appear in person for questioning.

The National Assembly’s defense minister, the police chief, and other senior military leaders have been arrested for the deployment of police and troops. This sparked a dramatic standoff, which ended when lawmakers were able to enter the chamber, and voted unanimously against Yoon’s order.

South Korean media reported prosecutors had indicted Kim Yong Hyun, the former Defense Minister. Kim was accused of playing a major role in Yoon’s rebellion plot as well as committing abuses of power and obstruction. Kim was said to be Yoon’s close associate and the first person formally charged with violating the martial law order. Unanswered calls to the Seoul prosecutor’s office.

Han’s motion for impeachment accuses Han of colluding and aiding Yoon in declaring martial law. Han is also accused of trying to obstruct restoration of full membership of the Constructional Court and delaying investigations into Yoon’s alleged rebelliousness by not appointing any independent counsels.

The martial law, which was the first in over 40 years, only lasted six hours, but caused a lot of political turmoil, alarm from neighbors, and shook markets. Yoon has justified his decree, claiming it is an act of government and a warning against the Democratic Party who he claims has used its parliamentary majorities to obstruct Yoon’s agenda.