Acting South Korean President Prime Minister Han Deok-soo has announced that he accepts the parliament’s decision to impeach him, Yonhap reported.
“I accept the decision of the National Assembly and, in order to avoid adding to chaos and uncertainty, I will cease to serve in accordance with the law, awaiting a prompt and wise decision by the Constitutional Court,” Han Deok-soo said. The impeachment of an acting president in South Korea has never been announced before.
On December 27, the parliament impeached Han Deok-soo by a simple majority (192 out of 192 people who voted). On December 14, President Yoon Seok-yeol’s powers were suspended. The next acting president will be Vice Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who holds the post of Minister of Economy and Finance. Yonhap reports that Choi Sang-mok is ready to assume his duties in his new capacity.
After impeachment in parliament, the case is transferred to the Constitutional Court, which can confirm the legality of the removal from power or reinstate the person. The ruling Civil Power Party insisted that a qualified majority is needed for impeachment. According to the constitution, 200 out of 300 votes of deputies are needed to remove the president from office. A simple majority (151 votes) is enough to impeach other high-ranking officials, including the prime minister.
The Constitutional Court has previously indicated that it does not have a position on what requirement is needed for Han Duk-soo’s impeachment: a simple or qualified majority, since the position is being developed during the consideration of the case.