The acting president’s dereliction of duty
Published: 26 Dec. 2024, 19:41
Prime Minister and acting President Han Duck-soo has decided to put on hold the candidate appointments for the three empty seats in the Constitutional Court bench. In response, the Democratic Party (DP) on Thursday submitted a motion to impeach the acting president for his “collusion with President Yoon Suk Yeol” in his abrupt declaration of martial law. The move by the majority party has thrust the country into further confusion. Nothing is more important than normalizing national governance, but the extreme confrontation between the DP and the governing People Power Party (PPP) only fuels the ongoing crisis that began with the short-lived martial law decree on Dec. 3.
The acting president’s decision to shelve the appointments of three new justices makes it difficult to operate the nine-member bench of the top court. Amid an intense conflict over the appointments, Han sided with the governing party. Even the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court agree that the acting president can appoint candidates for the justices. But Han demanded an agreement from the two parties.
The PPP has persistently delayed the judicial process in the Constitutional Court since the impeachment of the president on Dec. 14. Most PPP lawmakers shunned voting on the impeachment motion. Under such circumstances, we can hardly expect the two parties to reach a consensus over the three appointments.
In Thursday’s speech, Han mentioned the need to fill the empty seats in the bench. But his actions were different. Han must change his mind or the National Assembly should replace him, which will surely trigger controversy again.
Over the quorum to impeach the acting president, some say 151 votes from the 300-member legislature will be enough, but others say it requires at least two-thirds of the votes. National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik said he will make a judgment. Whatever the case, chaos is unavoidable. If Han is impeached, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who also serves finance minister, must succeed him. That’s unprecedented in Korea’s modern history.
The DP is no different. Even before the declaration of martial law, the party kept boasting its ability to take power. But it prompted this chaos over the appointments of the three justices. In fact, it was the majority party that ignored the need to fill the three vacant seats in the first place. Their decision backfired.
The DP should persuade the acting president before impeaching him. Rushing to impeach him without any negotiation will make matters worse, as it will only deepen people’s pain since the impeachment of the president.
The acting president’s decision to shelve the appointments of three new justices makes it difficult to operate the nine-member bench of the top court. Amid an intense conflict over the appointments, Han sided with the governing party. Even the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court agree that the acting president can appoint candidates for the justices. But Han demanded an agreement from the two parties.
The PPP has persistently delayed the judicial process in the Constitutional Court since the impeachment of the president on Dec. 14. Most PPP lawmakers shunned voting on the impeachment motion. Under such circumstances, we can hardly expect the two parties to reach a consensus over the three appointments.
In Thursday’s speech, Han mentioned the need to fill the empty seats in the bench. But his actions were different. Han must change his mind or the National Assembly should replace him, which will surely trigger controversy again.
Over the quorum to impeach the acting president, some say 151 votes from the 300-member legislature will be enough, but others say it requires at least two-thirds of the votes. National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik said he will make a judgment. Whatever the case, chaos is unavoidable. If Han is impeached, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who also serves finance minister, must succeed him. That’s unprecedented in Korea’s modern history.
The DP is no different. Even before the declaration of martial law, the party kept boasting its ability to take power. But it prompted this chaos over the appointments of the three justices. In fact, it was the majority party that ignored the need to fill the three vacant seats in the first place. Their decision backfired.
The DP should persuade the acting president before impeaching him. Rushing to impeach him without any negotiation will make matters worse, as it will only deepen people’s pain since the impeachment of the president.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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