On Dec. 24, Democratic Party lawmakers hold signs demanding the proclamation of special counsel bills and chanted slogans condemning acting president Han Duck-soo. /Kim Ji-ho

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The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), the main opposition party, announced on Dec. 24 its intent to pursue the impeachment of acting President Han Duck-soo, accusing him of failing to present special counsel bills during a recent Cabinet meeting. The bills, intended to investigate allegations of sedition and issues involving First Lady Kim Keon-hee, were instead met with Han’s call for “negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties” and his silence on appointing three Constitutional Court justices approved by the National Assembly. The DPK criticized Han as “Yoon Suk-yeol’s puppet” and the “acting president enabling sedition,” interpreting his inaction as a rejection of both the bills and the judicial appointments. In response, the party vowed to intensify its efforts.

The DPK announced plans to introduce a party-led impeachment motion, framing the move as part of a broader effort to “eradicate remnants of the rebellion.” However, the initiative was temporarily postponed to prioritize the upcoming Dec. 26 National Assembly vote on the Constitutional Court justice nominees. The party stated it would monitor Han’s subsequent actions—whether he swiftly appoints the justices, formally proclaims the special counsel bills, or initiates a permanent special counsel nomination regarding the sedition allegations—before finalizing its decision on impeachment.

During a party meeting, DPK leader Lee Jae-myung sharply criticized Han, accusing him of dereliction of duty. “He has shown no intention of responsibly managing state affairs and appears solely focused on protecting those implicated in sedition,” Lee said. He also condemned Han’s refusal to proclaim the special counsel bills, calling it “a blatant act of support and complicity in sedition.”

Lee further accused Han of undermining constitutional order by delaying judicial appointments. “Postponing the formation of constitutional institutions disrupts governance and hampers decision-making,” he said. Lee described the delay as a deliberate attempt to avoid appointing the three National Assembly-approved justices, all of whom had completed their confirmation hearings. Addressing arguments that impeaching the acting president would require a two-thirds majority, or 200 votes, Lee dismissed such claims as “absurd and baseless.”

Graphics by Kim Hyun-kook

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The DPK outlined five grounds for Han’s impeachment, accusing him of advising President Yoon Suk-yeol to veto special counsel investigations into a Korean Marine’s death and issues related to Kim Keon-hee, engaging in discussions about martial law, and supporting plans for a post-martial law government structure with former People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon. As acting president, Han is also alleged to have refused to request nominations for a permanent special counsel on the rebellion and to have effectively blocked the National Assembly’s recommendations for Constitutional Court justices.

[Kim Jeong-hwan]

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