Seoul, Dec 24 (EFE).- South Korea’s main opposition party said Tuesday that it will immediately seek to impeach prime minister and acting president Han Duck-soo over his refusal to ratify two special investigations into the dismissed leader Yoon Suk-yeol and first lady Kim Keon-hee.
«We will immediately begin impeachment proceedings against acting president and prime minister Han Duck-soo,» Democratic Party (DP) floor leader Park Chan-dae said at the beginning of a party meeting.
The meeting began shortly after the Cabinet failed to review of two DP bills approved in parliament to appoint special prosecutors to investigate the declaration of martial law made on Dec. 3 by Yoon and to investigate multiple alleged cases of corruption around Kim.
«There is no other way to interpret this than (as a tactic) to buy time and prolong the insurrection,» added Park, referring to the alleged and serious crime for which Yoon is being investigated.
The DP already hinted at the weekend that, if these two bills were not signed into law, it could seek the dismissal of Han, a possibility that would deepen the political crisis in which the country has been immersed since the beginning of this month.
In any case, it is not clear what time frame the DP is considering for submitting a motion for impeachment to the House, as it could choose to wait to see if Han decides to ratify the appointments of the judges proposed by parliament to fill the vacancies of the Constitutional Court, which must now deliberate whether or not to make Yoon’s impeachment final.
If the highest court ratifies the president’s impeachment for his declaration of martial law, a presidential election must be called within 60 days of the court’s ruling.
It also remains to be seen whether Han, who on Thursday meets with the leaders of the DP and the ruling party in a consultative body created to improve institutional stability, could reach a consensus in this forum that satisfies all parties.
Meanwhile, Yoon’s lawyer said Tuesday it was «unlikely» he would appear before the special team investigating his martial law declaration on Christmas Day as requested.
“The president thinks that the Constitutional Court’s impeachment trial procedure should take precedence, as the National Assembly has initiated the impeachment process,» Seok Dong-hyeon said. EFE
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