Speaker of the South Korean Parliament Woo Won-sik announced that a simple majority of at least 151 votes is needed to impeach acting President of the country Prime Minister Han Deok-soo. The plenary session is broadcast by MBC.
According to the constitution, 200 out of 300 votes of deputies are needed to impeach the president. A simple majority (151 votes) is enough to impeach other high-ranking officials, including the prime minister. The ruling and opposition parties have different approaches to which condition should be applied to Han Deok-soo. The leading opposition force, Toburo, controls 170 seats in parliament.
Deputies of the ruling Civil Power Party had previously decided to boycott the vote if the speaker chooses a simple majority. South Korean media indicated that the “first instance” in determining the voting procedure in parliament is considered to be its speaker Woo Won-sik. The leader of the parliamentary faction “Citizen Power” Kwon Sung-dong denied him “the right to determine the quorum for the vote on the impeachment of the acting president.” The ruling party deputies surrounded the speaker and demanded that he resign, chanting the phrase that he has no right to determine the procedure.