South Korea’s leading opposition party issued a warning on Monday, threatening to initiate impeachment proceedings against acting President Han Duck-soo if he fails to approve a bill that would authorize a special counsel investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed attempt to impose martial law.
Prime Minister Han has taken over the presidential duties following Yoon’s impeachment on December 14, with the Constitutional Court set to review his ouster. The opposition Democratic Party (DP), which holds a parliamentary majority, passed a bill earlier this month to appoint a special counsel to investigate charges of insurrection against Yoon, as well as probe his wife’s involvement in a luxury bag scandal and other alleged misconduct.
The DP, which accuses Han of supporting Yoon’s martial law effort and has filed a police report against him, warned they would begin impeachment proceedings against the acting president if the bill is not enacted by Tuesday. "The delays indicate that the prime minister has no intention of upholding the constitution, essentially acting as a proxy for the insurgent," said Park Chan-dae, the DP’s floor leader, referring to Yoon.
Han, a seasoned technocrat with decades of political experience under both conservative and liberal administrations, was appointed by Yoon as prime minister in 2022. Han’s office could not be immediately reached for comment, though he has previously claimed to have tried to block Yoon’s martial law proposal, later apologizing for his failure to do so.
Park also accused Yoon of obstructing the Constitutional Court’s proceedings by refusing to accept court documents, which were meant to notify him of the trial’s initiation. “Delaying the investigation and impeachment trials only extends the insurrection and constitutes a plot for a second one,” Park said.
Yoon’s ruling People Power Party criticized the DP for engaging in what it called "impeachment politics," accusing them of holding Han’s political future hostage to push through the special counsel despite multiple ongoing investigations. A spokesperson for the Constitutional Court announced on Monday that it would consider the presidential office’s refusal to accept court documents as a completed delivery and move forward with the trial.
Meanwhile, a joint investigation team, including police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, attempted a second round of questioning with Yoon, scheduled for December 25, though it remains unclear if he will comply. Yoon's defense lawyer, Seok Dong-hyeon, stated that the delay was necessary to prepare for the case and that they would respond to investigations after the impeachment decision.
Police investigation chief Woo Jong-soo told parliament that authorities had attempted to raid Yoon’s office twice but were denied entry by the presidential security service. Woo added that his team had requested to preserve evidence, including a secure phone server.