5 opposition parties petition to impeach South Korean acting President Choi Sang-mok

Yonhap reported today, March 21, that five opposition parties have submitted a motion to impeach South Korean acting President Choi Sang-mok.

Lawmakers from South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party (DP) and four smaller parties submitted an impeachment motion against Acting President Choi Sang-mok to the National Assembly at 2 PM today, March 21 (Korean time), for his failure to appoint the ninth judge to the Constitutional Court.

Acting President of South Korea Choi Sang-mok speaks at an event in Seoul on March 1.

"Despite the unanimous ruling by the Constitutional Court judges, Mr. Choi has still not complied with the decision, even though three weeks have passed," Kim Yong-min, the DP's deputy policy leader, told reporters.

In late December 2024, Choi appointed two judges to the Constitutional Court but postponed the appointment of opposition-nominated judge Ma Eun-hyuk, citing the need for bipartisan consensus.

The DP strongly criticized Choi, noting the Constitutional Court's ruling that his failure to appoint the candidate was "unconstitutional" and violated the parliament's rights.

The parties cited four other reasons for impeachment, including allegations that Choi was involved in President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024, and the failure to appoint Supreme Court judge nominee Ma Yong-ju.

By law, an impeachment motion must be put to a vote within 24 to 72 hours of being reported to a full session of Congress.

If South Korean National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, who holds the authority to open a plenary session, fails to convene one ahead of schedule, the impeachment motion could be dropped.

The opposition's move comes as the Constitutional Court is scheduled to deliver its ruling on March 24th regarding the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on charges related to Yoon's declaration of martial law.

The date for the verdict in President Yoon's impeachment case has not yet been set. The agreement of at least six judges is needed to uphold the impeachment, and the political fate of the impeached president rests in the hands of the nine-member Constitutional Court. Currently, the court has eight members.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/5-dang-doi-lap-kien-nghi-luan-toi-quyen-tong-thong-han-quoc-choi-sang-mok-185250321105708934.htm