South Korea's Acting President Han Duck-soo Impeached by 192 Votes, Choi Sang-mok Takes Over

Dec 27, 2024, 01:00 PM

South Korea's political landscape has been thrown into further turmoil as the National Assembly voted to impeach Acting President Han Duck-soo on December 27 with 192 votes in favor. This follows the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol on December 14, who had attempted to impose martial law earlier in the month. Han, who had been serving as acting president for just 13 days, was impeached after he declined to appoint three justices to the Constitutional Court, citing that it would exceed his acting role. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok has assumed the role of acting president, vowing to stabilize state affairs amidst the ongoing political crisis. The Constitutional Court held its first hearing on December 27 to review Yoon's impeachment, with the next hearing scheduled for January 3, 2025. The court has 180 days to decide on Yoon's fate, while the political instability continues to affect South Korea's economy, with the Korean won hitting a more than 15-year low.