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South Korea’s opposition threatens to impeach acting president on December 24

If Democratic Party of Toburo supports the impeachment proposal later on Tuesday, the issue will be put to a vote at a plenary session on December 26

South Korea's Acting President Han Duck-soo AP Photo/ Lee Jin-man

South Korea's Acting President Han Duck-soo

© AP Photo/ Lee Jin-man

SEOUL, December 24. /TASS/. South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party of Toburo vowed once again to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo after he declined to promulgate two special counsel bills targeting President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee on Tuesday, Yonhap reported.

"We will immediately begin impeachment proceedings against acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo," the South Korean news agency quoted Park Chan-dae, the floor leader, as saying. According to him, "there is no other way to interpret" the opposition to promulgating the bills "than as [a tactic] to buy time and prolong the insurrection."

If Toburo supports the impeachment proposal later on Tuesday, the issue will be put to a vote at a plenary session on December 26, while the vote itself may take place on December 27.

Earlier, the Democratic Party had already pledged to take action as part of impeachment proceedings unless the prime minister approves the bills on December 24. The cabinet declined to consider the measures on Tuesday. Han Duck-soo has until January 1 to sign the bills into law.

Meanwhile, Toburo Chairman Lee Jae-meng said on December 15 that they will not seek the impeachment of the acting president.

On December 12, South Korea’s parliament approved a bill to launch a special counsel probe into allegations involving the first lady, who is accused of stock price manipulation and involvement in nominating candidates for a 2022 by-election.

South Korea’s National Assembly impeached the country’s President Yoon Suk-yeol on December 14 following his December 3 decision to declare martial law. His powers were suspended as a result. The country’s Constitutional Court intends to hold the first preliminary hearing on the impeachment on December 27.

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