South Korean opposition lawmakers have tabled a motion to impeach the country's prime minister and interim leader Han Duck-soo, less than two weeks after Parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol.
This follows Han's refusal to appoint judges to the Constitutional Court nominated by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP).
“Han has revealed himself to be an interim insurgent, not an interim president,” Democratic Party leader Park Chan-dae said Thursday.
The opposition also accused Han of aiding Yoon's attempt at martial law on December 3. Han had previously apologized for not being able to block her.
Han also vetoed several opposition bills, including one that proposed a special investigation into Yoon's short-lived declaration of martial law.
The impeachment motion is expected to be put to a vote in the next 24 to 72 hours.
For this to succeed, 151 MPs out of 300 must vote in favor.
The PD currently holds 170 of the 300 seats in Parliament. The opposition bloc holds a total of 192 seats.
Opposition parties hoped that Han would not stand in their way as the country's interim president and would allow the bills to pass.
But instead he held his ground, thus escalating the political conflict.
On Tuesday, Han concluded a cabinet meeting without considering two opposition-sponsored bills that called for special investigations into the declaration of martial law and corruption allegations involving first lady Kim Keon Hee.
He said he had not included them on the agenda to give the ruling and opposition parties more time to reach a compromise.
But DP leader Park Chan-dae criticized him for “buying time and prolonging the insurrection.”
“We clearly warned that it was up to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to decide whether he would go down in history as a shameful figure, as a puppet of rebellion plot leader Yoon Suk Yeol, or as an official who faithfully executed the plan from the public,” Park said during a televised party meeting.
And on Thursday, Han said he would not name the three judges that the opposition-dominated National Assembly had appointed to the Constitutional Court – which is deliberating Yoon's impeachment – unless rival parties succeed to a consensus.
To this, Park said “it has become clear that Han Duck-soo is neither qualified nor willing to defend the constitution,” adding that the opposition would “immediately” file the impeachment bill.
Han's ruling People's Power Party said the opposition's threats interfered with Han's “legitimate exercise of authority,” while a senior official in the prime minister's office criticized the threats as being “extremely regrettable”.
Han became interim president after Yoon was ousted from office earlier this month. If lawmakers vote to impeach Han, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will be next in line.
This latest development in the country's political turmoil comes as the Seoul Constitutional Court deliberates whether Yoon should be permanently barred from office.
The court is expected to hold its first public hearing later this week.
It is unclear whether Yoon himself will speak at the hearings, but protesters have vowed to maintain their calls for Yoon's dismissal during the legal proceedings.
Yoon is also under investigation for alleged insurrection following his failed attempt to put the country under martial law.
He has refused to accept several summonses sent to him and investigators have warned that they could issue an arrest warrant if he continues to fail to respond.
Several senior officials, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min and army chief Park An-su, are also under investigation .
Additional reporting by Jake Kwon and Hosu Lee in Seoul
