Acting President Han Duck-soo brushed off opposition demands to approve bills by Tuesday that would launch special counsel investigations into President Yoon Suk Yeol's alleged insurrection and his wife Kim Keon Hee’s alleged election meddling and corruption.
Han's action came after the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Sunday unilaterally set a Tuesday deadline for Han to approve the bills during a Cabinet meeting, warning of swift consequences if he failed to comply. However, under South Korean law, the head of state has until Jan. 1 to veto the bills, which were submitted to the government on Dec. 17.
Initially, the Democratic Party on Tuesday announced plans to file a motion to impeach Han on the same day, accusing him of delaying efforts to address the fallout from President Yoon’s Dec. 3 martial law declaration.
However, the party later reversed its stance, stating it would give Han more time before deciding whether to move forward with an impeachment motion.
Rep. Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party, said Tuesday afternoon that the decision on Han’s impeachment would hinge on whether he immediately appoints the Constitutional Court justice nominees for Yoon's trial, after their nominations are approved at Thursday’s National Assembly plenary session.
"While the party initially planned to immediately submit an impeachment motion as part of our consensus, we have chosen to heed public sentiment and wait to see if the Constitutional Court appointments and our demands are fulfilled," Park said.
At Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, Han said bipartisan compromise should precede the approval of special counsel bills targeting Yoon and his wife, as well as the appointment of three Constitutional Court justices for Yoon's trial.
Opposing the special counsel probe into the first lady and the approval of justices recommended by the opposition-controlled parliament, Han suggested that National Assembly Speaker Rep. Woo Won-shik mediate between the two parties.
"I think we should begin with debate and negotiation to reach a bipartisan compromise, as to how a special counsel investigation and the approval (of new justices) could convince a majority of the public, while abiding by the law and the Constitution," said Han, adding that distrust and hatred in society would prevail otherwise.
Both the main opposition and the National Assembly Speaker flatly rejected Han's proposal.
Woo described Han's proposal as "very inappropriate" given that Han is defying the ordinary people's call for the special counsels into the Yoon couple.
"It is very inappropriate to define the matter of the special counsel bills as something that needs a compromise and a negotiation between the ruling and the opposition parties," Woo told reporters Tuesday.
Rep. Park said the party would move to impeach Han, accusing him of stalling to benefit the ruling bloc.
"How can a probe into insurrection be a subject for a compromise?" Park said. "Han's remarks are nothing but a mere delaying tactic."
Park ruled out negotiations with the ruling People Power Party, calling the party "an accomplice in the insurrection" that obstructs Yoon's impeachment trial, hinders the investigation into his insurrection allegations, and fails to discipline him for leading the insurrection.
Park also implied that Han could be removed from his position solely with 151 votes or more at the 300-member National Assembly's impeachment vote. The Democratic Party holds 170 parliamentary seats. This is in line with the National Assembly Research Service's interpretation that 151 votes or more are required to bring Han to impeachment trial, according to Democratic Party lawmaker Rep. Kim Han-kyu's office.
Rep. Woo, who was elected in the April general election as a Democratic Party lawmaker, said he would take the National Assembly Research Service's interpretation into account, claiming he has the authority to determine the requirement.
A senior official of Prime Minister Han's office said on condition of anonymity that the government deeply regretted seeing the Democratic Party's pledge to impeach the Prime Minister.
The official refrained from sharing the government's view over the number of votes valid enough to impeach Han, but said there are "mixed views" over whether Han's impeachment requires the minimum of 151 or 200 votes, given that Han currently serves as acting president.
Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, told its lawmakers Tuesday that the Democratic Party has been incessantly intimidating the acting president, adding that their threats "reached an extremely high level."
Rep. Seo Ji-young of the People Power Party, a floor spokesperson, said the main opposition "declared its bid to destroy the government" with its threat to impeach Han.
Under a bill to launch a special counsel into Yoon's insurrection allegations, a special counsel may create a 205-strong team and run it for up to 170 days. Candidates for the counsel would be recommended from opposition parties.
The bill indicated that none of the investigative authorities -- the prosecution, the police and the independent Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials -- can properly function, given Yoon's influence on the prosecution as a former prosecutor-general, high-ranking police officers' alleged involvement in the martial law imposition and the CIO's lack of capability.
Meanwhile, the special counsel bill to investigate first lady Kim covers allegations ranging from her involvement in stock manipulation, acceptance of a luxury Christian Dior bag from an acquaintance, to an interference in the ruling People Power Party's process ahead of a byelection in June 2022 and the general election in April this year. The main opposition party had previously floated three similar bills but all of them were vetoed by Yoon during his presidency since May 2022. None of these bills failed to override the veto at the parliament.
consnow@heraldcorp.com
