Han Deok-su Acting President's Constitutional Court Justice Appointment Deferred
Explicit Criticism Erupts from Democratic Party Lawmakers
Impeachment Vote on Acting President Han Scheduled for 27th
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, acting president, on the 26th withheld the appointment of three Constitutional Court justices until an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties was reached, amid which the Democratic Party of Korea unleashed overt criticism toward Acting President Han.
On the same day, Democratic Party lawmaker Moon Jung-bok posted on his social media (SNS) shortly after the party leadership announced plans to impeach Acting President Han, writing “Han Duck-soo is really XXXX.” Gyeonggi Province Assembly member Lee Yong-wook also wrote on SNS, “Han Duck-soo has finally confessed to being a major accomplice of the leader of the rebellion,” adding “XXX!” Moon later deleted his post, and Lee removed the profanity.
That day, the camp of former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun claimed that the December 3 emergency martial law was reported in advance to Acting President Han. Regarding this, Lee Eon-ju, a senior member of the Democratic Party, said, “Han Duck-soo must be arrested immediately and investigated,” questioning, “What kind of acting president is a co-leader of a rebellion?”
Earlier, on the 14th when the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-youl was passed, party leader Lee Jae-myung urged party members, “Please be especially careful with words and actions that could be misunderstood by third parties or the public.”
The People Power Party strongly criticized the Democratic Party’s remarks. People Power Party lawmaker Park Soo-young pointed out on SNS, “Posting such low-level expressions like ‘XXX’ on one’s official SNS confesses the opposition party’s level and lowers the level of the National Assembly,” adding, “If such behavior is not disciplined, there is no reason for the National Assembly Ethics Committee to exist.” Lawmaker Park Choong-kwon also criticized, “The Democratic Party’s level is now resorting to profanity after shielding the law, retaliating against impeachment, and threatening special investigations,” and said, “Does deleting the post now erase the profanity that was there?”
On the 27th, the opposition parties including the Democratic Party will vote on the impeachment motion against Acting President Han at the National Assembly plenary session. If Acting President Han’s duties are suspended, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok will take over as ‘acting acting president,’ an unprecedented event in constitutional history, which is expected to further deepen political turmoil.
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