Han's reinstatement marks ninth failed party-led impeachment bill against top Yoon official
The Democratic Party of Korea's impeachment of acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo failed Monday to little surprise of Constitutional Court watchers, marking another unsuccessful impeachment push against a top Yoon Suk Yeol official by the party, according to them.
After Han was reinstated as acting president, Democratic Party Chair Rep. Lee Jae-myung questioned the Constitutional Court's majority decision to vote against his impeachment, saying the South Korean people "would not approve" of it.
"We have no choice but to respect the decision of the Constitutional Court. But I don't think it is a decision that the South Korean people will understand," Lee said. "The acting president clearly neglected his duties that the Constitution entrusted upon him by not appointing the rest of the justices of the Constitutional Court," he added, referring to Han's refusal to appoint the three remaining justices to the Court in December.
The Democratic Party, using its majority in the National Assembly, unilaterally passed the impeachment resolution against acting President Han, just about two weeks after a bilateral vote in the Assembly impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol in December last year. Han vetoed the Democratic Party-led bill for appointing Constitutional Court justices, citing a lack of bipartisan agreement.
The Democratic Party on this day set up a tent in Seoul's central Gwanghwamun Square in the latest of the party's bid to fan anti-Yoon rallies urging a swift impeachment verdict from the Constitutional Court.
The ruling People Power Party on the other hand said the Constitutional Court dismissing nine impeachment bills against top Yoon officials, all passed by the Democratic Party, attested to the opposition party's abuse of its Assembly majority control.
The Democratic Party has to date filed 30 impeachment bills since the Yoon administration took office in May 2022, with the Constitutional Court having deliberated on nine of them.
"We welcome the Constitutional Court's decision, which once again confirms the Democratic Party's impeachment campaign is nothing more than a malicious political offensive. The Democratic Party knows the impeachment is invalid, and yet still pushes ahead with it anyway just for the sake of it," Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, the People Power Party's floor leader, said.
Woo Won-shik, the National Assembly's speaker, said while he respects the Constitutional Court's verdict on Han, the acting president is obligated to approve the appointment bill to fill the vacancy on the nine-member bench. The Constitutional Court currently has eight justices, with one seat yet to be appointed due to parties' dispute over nominations.
arin@heraldcorp.com
