South Korea’s political crisis deepened Thursday as Acting President Han Duck-soo defied opposition pressure by refusing to approve the appointment of three Constitutional Court judges, a move that risks his own impeachment and further destabilizes the nation, Bloomberg reports.
In a nationally televised address, Han asserted that the right to approve the judges rests with the president, effectively blocking nominations pushed by the opposition Democratic Party (DP). The DP, which controls the parliament, has sought to quickly fill three vacant seats on the nine-justice court. These appointments would potentially lower the threshold needed to permanently remove President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached earlier this month, from his position.
Han’s actions come just before parliament was set to nominate the judges. Currently, at least six of the nine justices must confirm Yoon’s ouster, but filling the vacancies would reduce this bar to two-thirds of the sitting court. President Yoon was impeached following a controversial martial law decree issued on December 3, which though quickly rescinded, sparked widespread protests and political turmoil.
The DP swiftly condemned Han’s decision, with floor leader Park Chan-dae telling reporters that his party would immediately file an impeachment motion against the acting president. The Kyunghyang Shinmun newspaper later reported that the DP is set to convene an impeachment vote on Friday.
Meanwhile, Yoon’s People Power Party, which had boycotted the confirmation hearings for the nominees, praised Han’s move.
The political wrangling sent the South Korean won into further decline, weakening 0.6% to 1,465.55 per dollar in mid-afternoon trading.
The crisis is unfolding while the nation grapples with the fallout from Yoon’s brief martial law order and his subsequent impeachment on December 14. Yoon has vowed to fight for his reinstatement at the Constitutional Court, which has until June to decide his fate.
If Han is impeached, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok would step in as acting president.
To address the economic ramifications of the political uncertainty, the Bank of Korea and the government have pledged to provide “unlimited liquidity” as needed to calm markets. The central bank also signaled plans for a benchmark interest rate cut next year, following a significant drop in consumer confidence.
