South Korea’s Parliament Moves to Impeach Former Acting President Choi Sang-mok

South Korea’s parliament on Wednesday reported an impeachment motion against former acting President Choi Sang-mok, who also served as deputy prime minister for economic affairs. The motion was submitted on March 21 by the main opposition Democratic Party and four other minor parties. Choi faced impeachment over his refusal to appoint a justice to the constitutional court during his tenure as acting president. The motion was formally reported during the National Assembly’s plenary session.

Choi had served as acting president for about three months following the impeachment of both President Yoon Suk-yeol and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo last December. He remained in the role until March 24, when Han was reinstated as prime minister and acting president. The impeachment motion against Choi was based on four allegations, including his involvement in President Yoon’s alleged attempt to impose martial law and his refusal to appoint a constitutional court justice.

Currently, the nine-member constitutional court has only eight justices, as Choi did not fill the vacancy during his tenure. The court is set to decide on Friday whether to permanently remove Yoon from office. The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed in parliament on December 14, and the constitutional court has since held 11 hearings on the case, concluding on February 25.

President Yoon declared an emergency martial law on the night of December 3 last year, but the opposition-led National Assembly revoked it within hours. His impeachment followed shortly after, leading to months of political turmoil. The outcome of the constitutional court’s upcoming decision could have significant implications for South Korea’s leadership and governance.