South Korean opposition threatens impeachment of interim president - Reuters

The agency reminded that Prime Minister Han Duck-soo assumed office in place of the ousted Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached on December 14. The issue of his removal from office is set to be reviewed by the Constitutional Court.

Han Duck-soon is a technocrat who has held leadership positions in South Korean politics for 30 years under both conservative and liberal presidents. Yoon appointed him as Prime Minister in 2022.

Delay in the case review

With a majority in parliament, the opposition Democratic Party recently passed a bill to appoint a special prosecutor to bring charges of sedition, including against the conservative Yoon.

The party, which accused Han Duck-soo of aiding Yoon's attempt to impose martial law and filed a police report against him, stated that it would immediately begin impeachment proceedings against the current president if the law is not published by Tuesday, December 24.

"The delays show that the prime minister has no intention of complying with the constitution, and it is tantamount to admitting that he is acting as a proxy for the insurgent," said Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae.

He also accused Yoon of obstructing the case in the Constitutional Court. Specifically, Yoon had repeatedly refused to accept court documents, which were primarily intended to notify him of the initiation of legal proceedings.

"Any delay in the investigation and impeachment trials is an extension of the insurrection and an act of plotting a second one," said Park.

The ruling People Power Party of Yoon accused the Democratic Party of Korea of using so-called impeachment politics and holding Han's political fate hostage to push forward the appointment of a special prosecutor, despite numerous ongoing investigations.

A spokesperson for the Constitutional Court stated on Monday that the court had decided to consider the presidential office's refusal to accept the documents as final and would continue the judicial review.

Yoon fails to appear for questioning

A joint investigation team, consisting of the police and the Anti-Corruption and High-Ranking Officials Investigations Agency, made a second attempt to summon Yoon for questioning on December 25. It remains unclear whether he will appear for the interrogation.

Seok Dong-hyeon, an attorney assisting in forming Yoon's defense team, stated to reporters on Monday that he is not delaying the trial but needs time for preparation and will respond to any investigations once a decision on impeachment is made.

Woo Jong-soo, investigation chief of the national police agency, stated on Monday that the police had tried twice to search Yoon's office, but the president's security service refused them entry. Woo said his team had sent a request to preserve evidence, including a protected phone server.

The agency was unable to immediately contact Han's office for comments. Earlier, he had stated that he attempted to block Yoon's declaration of a state of emergency but apologized for being unable to do so.

Attempted coup in the Republic of Korea

On December 3, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a state of emergency in the country. According to him, the reason for this was accusations by the opposition Democratic Party of anti-state activities and links with North Korea.

This decision by the head of state triggered a political crisis. The following day, the country's parliament and government passed resolutions calling for the immediate cancellation of the state of emergency.

Yoon canceled the state of emergency, which lasted for six hours.

On December 14, the National Assembly approved the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol.

Subsequently, Yoon was suspected of treason due to multiple complaints.

On December 16, the Constitutional Court of South Korea began reviewing the case regarding the impeachment of Yoon.

On December 18, the suspended president failed to appear for questioning in the case concerning an attempted coup.