Opposition parties must rethink motion
to impeach acting President Choi Sang-mok
How many impeachment motions does South Korea need to stabilize its political turmoil? In the eyes of the opposition parties, filing a 30th impeachment motion seems to be okay — a questionable stance at a time when the country badly needs to address a protracted leadership vacuum in the face of challenges both at home and abroad.
On Friday, the main opposition the Democratic Party of Korea and four minor opposition parties submitted a motion to impeach acting President Choi Sang-mok over his non-appointment of a ninth justice at the Constitutional Court — marking the 30th impeachment motion during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.
Choi, who is also deputy prime minister and finance minister, took over the country’s top leadership post as a second acting president after the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Dec. 27, 2024. Han became acting president after President Yoon was impeached on Dec. 14 over his short-lived imposition of martial law.
If the National Assembly opens plenary sessions and passes the motion against Choi, South Korea may need a third acting president.
Whether the motion can get passed remains unclear. Under the law, an impeachment motion must be put to a vote between 24 and 72 hours after it is filed in a plenary session. But National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik may not convene a plenary session before the deadline because the Constitutional Court plans to deliver its ruling on Prime Minister Han’s impeachment on Monday.
If Han’s impeachment case is tossed out by the Constitutional Court, he will return to office as acting president, which in turn will make it meaningless to press for a vote on the impeachment of Choi at the National Assembly.
One of the official reasons for the 30th impeachment is that Choi has not complied with the Feb. 27 ruling of the Constitutional Court over the appointment of opposition-recommended Justice candidate Ma Eun-hyuk.
Unsurprisingly, the ruling People Power Party slammed the opposition parties for the impeachment motion. People Power Party leader Kweon Seong-dong blamed Democratic Party Chairman Lee Jae-myung for destroying national affairs, mentioning Lee's past criminal record and other charges against him. The conservative party's spokesperson Shin Dong-wook said impeaching Choi, who also serves as deputy prime minister for economic affairs, will undercut the country’s embattled economy.
As the opposition parties have claimed, it may be a misstep that Choi has balked at appointing Ma. However, the Democratic Party seemed aware that Choi’s reluctance stemmed from concerns that appointing Ma — a figure with progressive leanings — amid the heightened political tension and bitter ideological divide over President Yoon’s impeachment case could further inflame social tensions.
Some political pundits argue that the Democratic Party’s latest decision to pursue Choi’s impeachment is related to shifting dynamics surrounding Yoon’s impeachment. Contrary to the opposition’s expectations, the verdict from the Constitutional Court has been delayed, with speculation growing that the case may be dismissed or rejected outright.
Seeking to pressure Choi, the Democratic Party appears intent on reshaping the court’s composition to its advantage. To uphold Yoon’s impeachment, consent by at least six justices is necessary at the nine-member Constitutional Court. Currently, the court has an eight-member bench.
But the opposition’s push to impeach Choi risks paralyzing the government and adding to confusion. In addition to his role as acting president, Choi represents the country’s chief economic policymaker — a position of considerable responsibility, given that South Korea has to deal with mounting trade pressure from the Trump administration.
The opposition parties must rethink their impeachment motion against Choi as it could raise doubts about the government’s ability to tackle economic challenges and hurt the country’s international credibility.
