Two presidents, two impeachments? South Korea’s political crisis deepens

South Korea’s opposition filed an impeachment motion against acting President Han Duck-soo on Thursday after he refused to appoint Constitutional Court justices needed to rule on President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment.

The move escalates the country’s political uncertainties following Yoon’s failed martial law bid on December 3.

Yoon, who was impeached on December 14 over the debacle, has been suspended from office pending a decision by the Constitutional Court, leaving Han, who is also the country’s prime minster, to step in as acting president under South Korea’s constitutional line of succession.

The Constitutional Court currently operates with only six of its nine justices due to the retirement of three in October, raising questions about whether its eventual decision on the impeachment will be considered legally valid and widely accepted.

Acting president Han announced he would “shelve” the appointment of new justices, urging rival parties to first agree on whether an interim leader has the authority to appoint Constitutional Court justices – a demand widely considered impractical.

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DKP) responded furiously, introducing a motion to impeach Han himself.