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This is an extraordinary situation in which an impeachment motion against the prime minister who is serving as acting president has been passed, following the earlier impeachment motion against the president. A negative impact on the nation’s diplomacy and economy is inevitable.
This is an internal political issue for South Korea, but concern cannot be avoided about the growing turmoil.
The South Korean National Assembly has passed an impeachment motion against Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who currently holds presidential power. Han has been acting as president since an impeachment motion was passed against President Yoon Suk Yeol, who briefly declared martial law, and his presidential duties were suspended.
Choi Sang-mok, the deputy prime minister and economy and finance minister, will now serve as both acting president and prime minister. Choi is a former economic bureaucrat and is not a member of the National Assembly.
South Korea is facing off against North Korea, which is continuing its nuclear and missile development. If North Korea were to take advantage of the turmoil in South Korean politics and step up its military activities, would South Korea be able to respond amid this abnormal situation in which the deputy prime minister is acting as both president and prime minister? Anxiety only grows.
There is no doubt that Yoon’s declaration of martial law triggered the turmoil. However, the opposition has deepened the turmoil by passing an impeachment motion against even the acting president, after saying it would cooperate to stabilize national politics.
The opposition is calling for three vacant seats to be filled among the nine justices of the Constitutional Court, which is holding the impeachment trial for Yoon. Since the impeachment of Yoon requires the approval of six justices, it seems the opposition is trying to increase the possibility of impeachment by filling the vacancies.
If Choi, like Han, refuses to appoint justices, the opposition is preparing to also bring forward an impeachment motion against Choi. If the opposition continues to use forceful methods backed by numerical strength in the assembly and paralyze national politics, it will eventually draw backlash from the public.
The effects of the prolonged political instability are already beginning to be felt.
After Yoon was suspended from his duties, U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held telephone talks with acting president Han, and reaffirmed the strengthening of unity among Japan, the United States and South Korea. Shortly after that, Han was also suspended from his duties, casting a shadow over the cooperation among the three countries.
The economy is also in an unstable situation. After the declaration of martial law, the value of the South Korean won has continued to fall, and on Friday, the day that the impeachment motion against Han was passed, the won hit its lowest level against the dollar since March 2009 in the Seoul foreign exchange market.
If this situation continues, South Korea’s international credibility will be damaged. The ruling and opposition parties should make it their top priority to restore political stability and trust, rather than engaging in fruitless political infighting.
At the Constitutional Court, the first preparatory proceedings for the impeachment trial of Yoon have begun. A fair trial in accordance with the law should be held.
