Rival parties must stop partisan fight, start exploring compromise on justices
For many foreign observers, South Korea has become a nation of impeachment -- a truly shameful image forged by the irresponsible lawmakers and political parties.
In less than two weeks after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the opposition-led National Assembly for his short-lived martial law declaration, acting President Han Duck-soo was also impeached Friday in a 192-0 vote at the National Assembly. The ruling People Power Party lawmakers walked out of the main chamber as the vote count started, claiming that the vote should be ruled invalid.
It was the first time ever that an acting president in Korea was impeached by the National Assembly. Worse, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea threatens to impeach Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok -- who has become acting president and acting prime minister -- as well if he does not accept its demands.
The Democratic Party filed the impeachment motion by accusing Han of his failure to appoint three new Constitutional Court justice candidates nominated by the National Assembly, having convened an emergency Cabinet meeting on Dec. 3 that led to Yoon’s martial law order and refusing to promulgate two special counsel bills on Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee.
The impeachment vote process itself was mired in partisan wrangling. The opposition party held the view that Han’s impeachment was possible if a simple majority of 151 votes in the 300-member National Assembly, which applies to Cabinet ministers, are secured since he is prime minister. But the ruling party claimed that a two-thirds majority of 200 votes was needed for Han's impeachment since he is also an acting president.
With no Constitutional Court precedents available, National Assembly Speaker Rep. Woo Won-shik finalized the quorum in favor of a simple majority option that enabled Han’s impeachment but prompted ruling party lawmakers to protest his decision.
It seems inevitable that Korea will go through multiple uncertainties over state affairs since the People Power Party has resorted to legal fight by filing for an adjudication on jurisdiction disputes and an injunction with the Constitutional Court to nullify Han’s impeachment.
The messy political development involves the reversal of positions by both parties over the appointment of three justices to the Constitutional Court, which currently has only six justices on the bench after three retired. Before Yoon's impeachment, the People Power Party had called on the Democratic Party to appoint additional justices.
But the Democratic Party refused to process the appointments promptly in a bid to delay the deliberation of the Constitutional Court over its impeachment of high-ranking government officials including the chief of the Korea Communications Commission.
But the rival parties reversed their positions after Yoon was impeached. Now, the ruling party wants to delay Yoon’s impeachment proceeding, while the main opposition party wants to finalize his impeachment as soon as possible and move on to hold a presidential election.
Under the law, at least six votes are required to uphold an impeachment motion. The appointment of three new justices, therefore, could increase the chances that Yoon’s impeachment would be upheld.
Since the Constitutional Court’s impeachment ruling with only six justices can lead to legal disputes and political clashes over its make-or-break decision, both parties should have sought a political solution over the appointment of additional justices rather than allowing the partisan impeachment vote that suspended the duties of acting President Han.
The ruling and opposition party members must realize that they are all responsible for the current political impasse that has resulted in a serious leadership vacuum, economic turbulence and worries about the country’s stature in diplomatic relations. The parties must stop political wrangling and start seeking a compromise over the appointment of justices and special counsel bills.
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