South Korea’s opposition party warns acting president to sign counsel bills against Yoon

(MENAFN) South Korea’s main opposition party, the Democratic Party (DP), warned acting President Han Duck-soo on Sunday, demanding that he sign special counsel bills that would allow investigations into President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee. DP floor leader Park Chan-dae stated that Han must sign the bills by Tuesday to enable a probe into Yoon’s controversial declaration of martial law. Park emphasized that if Han fails to act, the DP would hold him responsible, potentially moving toward impeachment.

The DP, which holds a 170-seat majority in the 300-member National Assembly, would need the support of at least 200 lawmakers to impeach Han. This warning came after the National Assembly voted on December 14 to suspend President Yoon over his brief imposition of martial law on December 3, a move that sparked political upheaval. The opposition party has pushed for special counsel investigations into Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, over the martial law incident.

Han Duck-soo recently vetoed six bills passed by the opposition, escalating tensions between the government and the DP. The vetoes have intensified political friction, with the opposition accusing the acting president of undermining their legislative efforts. The special counsel bills are seen as a key tool to investigate the alleged abuse of power by the president and first lady.

Meanwhile, the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party has also joined the criticism, drafting a motion for Han’s impeachment. They accuse Han of tacitly supporting Yoon’s martial law decision and enabling the actions that led to the current political crisis. The ongoing tensions between the executive and legislative branches suggest that South Korea's political environment remains deeply polarized.

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