By Jack Kim
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s main opposition party said it would introduce a bill to impeach incumbent President Han Dak-soo on Thursday and hold a vote on Friday, a move that could deepen the country’s constitutional crisis stemming from a brief martial law. .
The opposition Democratic Party has threatened to impeach Han unless he immediately appoints three judges to fill the vacancies on the Constitutional Court. Parliament approved three candidates on Thursday, but they have not yet been formally appointed by Han.
The court is trying to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol for declaring martial law on December 3.
“It has become clear that Prime Minister and current President Han Dak-soo lacks the qualifications or will to uphold the constitution,” Democratic Party leader Park Chan-dae said in a statement.
In case of Han’s impeachment, the finance minister will take over the duties of the president. The Democratic Party has majority control of parliament, but there is disagreement among the parties and some constitutional scholars over whether a simple majority or two-thirds vote is needed to impeach a sitting president.
Han said earlier Thursday that he would not appoint judges until the political parties had agreed on the appointments, as doing so without political consensus would harm the constitutional order.
Two candidates for Thursday’s Constitutional Court vote were nominated by the Democratic Party and one by Han’s ruling People’s Power Party. The ruling party protested and said it did not agree.
Han has been under pressure to make the appointments, but political parties have disagreed on whether he has the right to do so as acting president.
The trial will hold its first hearing on Friday to decide whether to impeach Yun or reinstate him.
According to the constitution, six justices must agree to remove an impeached president, meaning the current justices must unanimously support Yun’s removal. The court said it can hear without a full bench.
Yun, who was impeached by parliament on Dec. 14 in a vote joined by some members of his center-right party, had not submitted legal documents requested by the court as of Thursday, court spokesman Lee Jin told a media briefing.
On Wednesday, he did not respond to a final summons for questioning in a separate criminal investigation.
Yun’s repeated defiance has drawn criticism and opposition calls for his arrest.