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Acting President Han faces tougher diplomatic challenges compared to 2016 impeachment

Published: 16 Dec. 2024, 17:20 Updated: 16 Dec. 2024, 17:21

LIM JEONG-WON
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Acting President Han Duck-soo speaks on the phone with U.S. President Joe Biden at the Seoul Government Complex in Jongno District, central Seoul on Sunday. [YONHAP]

Korea's prime minister assumed the office of acting president after President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment by the National Assembly on Saturday, the first such transfer of authority in eight years.

However, the prime minister faces a much more precarious situation than last time.

The Korean constitution's post-impeachment mechanism seeks to minimize the vacuum in the president’s unique authority over diplomacy and the military.

This time, however, acting President Han Duck-soo must contend with investigations against several Cabinet ministers for their alleged roles in the Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, as well as significant holes in the military's leadership with the arrest or suspension of senior officials and commanders over the incident.

On Sunday, the day after the impeachment motion passed, diplomatic officials moved quickly at all levels to assure international partners and allies. “There will be no diplomatic vacuum under the acting presidency,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Acting President Han spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden for 16 minutes Sunday morning, saying that Korea will “carry out our foreign and security policies without delay.”

Biden, in turn, said the two leaders “reaffirmed the ironclad commitment of the United States” to the South Korean people, the White House reported.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said at a press conference Sunday that “the phone call between Han and Biden dispelled concerns about a vacuum in summit diplomacy.”

Official assurances aside, however, normal diplomacy will prove all but impossible for up to 240 days while Korea endures a Constitutional Court impeachment trial and a snap presidential election.

This means critical foreign policy agendas and concerns will likely be put on the back burner until the election of a new head of state, including the start of the second Donald Trump administration, the dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia, the pushing of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to South Korea and the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, poses for a photo with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba before the Korea-U.S.-Japan summit on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit at the Lima Convention Center on Nov. 25. [NEWS1]

Former high-ranking officials who experienced the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye in December 2016 unanimously agreed that the problem is ultimately systemic.

Officials hope the Prime Minister’s Office, the presidential office and the Foreign Ministry will establish a smooth collaborative system to prevent diplomatic gaps during the transition.

However, the interim administration faces high hurdles, especially compared to the last impeachment eight years ago.

While Yoon's impeachment coincides with the beginning of the Trump administration, just as the last impeachment did, more than half the 20-person Cabinet — who should be building networks with the new U.S. administration — are now under investigation for attending the martial law meeting on Dec. 3.

Even Han himself has been indicted on charges of insurrection. This could lead to trust issues when negotiating with major foreign counterparts, including the United States.

And to make matters worse, Trump 2.0 is signaling that it could be even more unpredictable than its first iteration.

“There will be many things that could affect South Korea that happen in the first 100 hours of the second administration, not just the first 100 days,” said Victor Cha, the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), during an online discussion, quoting a former Trump aide.

U.S. policies on issues such as the North Korean nuclear program, defense cost sharing, tariffs, and economic security could change drastically immediately after the Trump administration takes office, yet there are concerns about whether South Korea can respond appropriately without proper leadership.

Another difference from eight years ago is the unprecedented vacuum in military leadership.

Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, suspected of being a key instigator behind the martial law declaration, voluntarily resigned and was arrested on insurrection charges.

The Army Chief of Staff and the commanders of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, the Army Special Warfare Command, the Capital Defense Command and the Defense Intelligence Command were also suspended.

With so many vacancies in the military command, some worry that North Korea may try to take advantage of this situation.

“No matter what, the direction must be decided quickly, and the military readiness posture must be normalized,” a military official said.

BY PARK HYUN-JU, LEE KEUN-PYUNG, LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]