South Korea's opposition party has announced plans to have parliament impeach the prime minister and interim president.
South Korea's main opposition party announced plans Tuesday to have Parliament impeach Prime Minister and interim President Han Duck-soo over his refusal to enact two laws aimed at investigating ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The Democratic Party had given the prime minister until Tuesday to enact the two laws aimed at creating special independent commissions of inquiry, one into Mr. Yoon's failed attempt to impose martial law and muzzle Parliament. by sending the army there on December 3, and the other on corruption charges against his wife, Kim Keon Hee.
At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Mr. Han, interim president since Mr. Yoon's dismissal by Parliament on December 14, announced that he refused to accede to the opposition's request, believing that Such laws had to be the subject of consensus between the parties.
“We have no choice but to interpret this as his intention to continue the rebellion through delaying tactics,” National Assembly opposition leader Park Chan-dae said. during a press conference.
After having indicated that he wanted to table a motion to this effect on Tuesday, he finally clarified at the end of the day that he had decided to wait until Thursday.
If this procedure succeeds, it will be the first impeachment of an interim president after that of the titular president in the history of South Korea.
Investigation for “rebellion”
South Korea's Constitution provides that the National Assembly can remove the president by a two-thirds majority vote, and the prime minister and other government members by a simple majority.
The opposition, which has 192 seats out of 300 in the Assembly, says it only needs a simple majority to depose Mr Han, since he is only prime minister. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) instead argues that a two-thirds majority is necessary, since Mr. Han is interim president.
Yoon Suk Yeol, suspended, officially remains the president of the country pending a ruling from the Constitutional Court confirming or overturning the decision of the deputies.
He is also under joint investigation by the police, the Ministry of Defense and the anti-corruption agency for “rebellion”, a crime punishable by death.
The Corruption Investigation Bureau, which centralizes the investigations, summoned Mr. Yoon for a first questioning on December 25 at 10:00 a.m. on these events which stunned the country.
But the bureau announced Monday that its summons, mailed to both Mr. Yoon's home and office, had been refused by the recipient. An email also returned to its sender without it being possible to determine whether it had been read or not.
In the event that Mr. Yoon refuses to appear again on December 25, the Investigation Bureau has the choice between sending a third summons or asking the courts for an arrest warrant.
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