In Seoul, South Korea, the Democratic Party (DP), the main opposition in the South Korean assembly, has decided to delay its plan to introduce an impeachment motion against Acting President Han Duck-soo. This decision comes after Han refused to promulgate two special counsel bills targeting former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former first lady Kim Keon Hee.
Initially, the DP intended to introduce the motion on Tuesday evening but postponed it for two days. They aim to see if Han will appoint Constitutional Court justices after the motions for their appointments are passed during Thursday's plenary session. DP floor leader Representative Park Chan-dae emphasized that Thursday is the final opportunity for Han to act.
"Thursday is the last opportunity. Acting President Han should uphold the people's order and actively cooperate in ending insurrection," Park stated. If Han does not cooperate, the impeachment motion will be reported to the National Assembly on Friday.
Under the law, an impeachment motion must be voted on between 24 and 72 hours after it is reported in a plenary session. A two-thirds majority is needed to impeach the president, while a simple majority is sufficient for senior officials. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) argues that Han should be treated as the president in the impeachment vote, while the DP insists he should be considered as the prime minister.
The DP's decision to consider impeachment followed a Cabinet meeting led by Han that ended without reviewing the two bills related to special counsel investigations into Yoon's martial law declaration and Kim's corruption allegations. Park claimed that Han's inaction could be seen as a delay tactic.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-Shik criticized Han's delay in deciding on the bills and court appointments, calling for bipartisan negotiations. He stated that the special counsel investigations were a public demand and that the decision was ultimately Han's. Woo insisted that appointing Constitutional Court justices should not be politically negotiated.
A senior official from the Prime Minister's Office expressed regret over the DP's impeachment threat, urging them to reconsider their stance.
Impeachment is a process where a government official is charged with doing something wrong. If found guilty, they can be removed from their position.
An Acting President is someone who temporarily takes on the role of the President when the actual President is unable to perform their duties.
Han Duck-soo is a political leader in South Korea who is currently serving as the Acting President.
The Democratic Party is one of the major political parties in South Korea. They are involved in making decisions and laws for the country.
Constitutional Court justices are judges who work in a special court that deals with important legal issues related to the country's constitution.
The People Power Party is another major political party in South Korea. They often have different views from the Democratic Party.
A Cabinet meeting is a gathering of top government officials who discuss and make decisions on important national issues.
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