It was previously reported that after two congressional votes, Yin Xiyue, who initiated martial law, was impeached by the National Assembly with a vote of 204:85. Subsequently, Prime Minister Han Pyo-soo temporarily acted as president. However, because Han Byul-soo refused to appoint three constitutional judges, he believed that this was beyond his duties and required consultation between the government and the opposition. The opposition party also launched an impeachment vote, which was ultimately approved by 192 votes. Vice Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will take over as acting president. Another air crash occurred in South Korea on the 29th. South Korea does not seem to be peaceful this winter.
(The South Korean National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon Seok-yue for the second time, and Prime Minister Han Byul-soo will temporarily take over the post, and the successor presidential candidate will be announced)
Passing the impeachment case of the acting president, Speaker: Applying the standards for impeachment of the prime minister
Yonhap News Agency reported that on the 27th, the National Assembly passed the impeachment case against Prime Minister Han Byul-soo, who assumed the power of the president. Among the 300 members of the House of Representatives, 108 members of the ruling National Power Party were present, 107 were present, and 1 member of the largest opposition Democratic Party was absent. A total of 192 people participated in the vote. The impeachment was approved by a vote of 192 in favor.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik said that the standard for passing the impeachment case in the National Assembly depends on removing the person concerned from office. The position targeted for this impeachment is the Prime Minister who exercises the powers of the President. Therefore, the passing standard for the Prime Minister’s impeachment case should be applied, that is, more than half of the sitting members (151 people) vote in favor, rather than the passing standard for the President’s impeachment case (200 people).
The impeachment case arose out of the Prime Minister's refusal to appoint a constitutional judge
Han Byul-soo held an emergency talk on the 26th and stated that he would suspend the appointment of Constitutional Court judges until the ruling and opposition parties reach an agreement through consultation. He said that when the government and the opposition agree on the appointment of constitutional judge candidates and submit a bill, he will appoint them immediately.
He pointed out that the duty of the acting president is to ensure the stable operation of national politics, but the inherent powers of the president, including the appointment of candidates for constitutional organs, cannot be touched without touching it. This is the consistent spirit of the country's constitution and laws. If it is necessary to exercise corresponding powers, the government and the opposition must first reach an agreement in Congress. This practice has never been broken in South Korea's constitutional history.
The opposition Democratic Party originally requested that the appointment of three judicial candidates be handled in the National Assembly. The operating rules of the Constitutional Court are that at least 7 of the 9 judges must be present and 6 must be in favor to confirm the impeachment or removal of the president, but currently there are still 3 vacancies. Han Byung-soo was also impeached by the National Assembly for refusing to appoint a constitutional judge on the grounds that he exceeded his powers.
The deputy prime minister who took over had called on Congress not to impeach the prime minister.
According to South Korean law, after the prime minister who acts as the president is impeached, the next executive will be Vice Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok. According to the process, after the original impeachment resolution of Han Bysu is delivered to the Constitutional Court and a copy is delivered to Han Bysu, Choi Sang-mok will officially take over as acting president.
However, Choi Sang-mok had previously called on Congress not to impeach Han Byung-soo, because impeaching the acting president is tantamount to impeaching the entire cabinet. If Congress passes the impeachment case against the acting president, the power of the government will be significantly weakened, and the Council of State will lose the reason for its existence.
The plane crash with the highest death toll in South Korea, only 2 people survived
In this troubled winter, it was also reported on the 29th that a Jeju Air flight from Bangkok to Muan International Airport suffered a belly landing crash. Yonhap News Agency reported that at 9 a.m. that day, Jeju Air flight 7C2216 landed in the belly of Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, then left the runway and hit the airport wall, exploding and catching fire. The aircraft is a Boeing 737-800, carrying 181 people, including 175 passengers (173 Koreans and 2 Thais) and 6 crew members. The accident killed 179 people and two people were rescued.
The incident was the deadliest air disaster in South Korea, and the government announced that the country would enter a period of mourning from now until January 4. In addition, hot spots in the entertainment industry in previous years, such as MBS, KBS and other entertainment awards, will also have an impact.
This article A Troubled Winter on the Korean Peninsula: The Acting President is Impeached and the Air Crash with the Highest Death Toll in South Korea appeared first on Chain News ABMedia.