'Yoon Impeachment Motion' Fails... 'State Affairs Management' Falls to Prime Minister Han Deok-su

Yoon "Party and Government Will Lead National Administration Together"
Han Deok-su as 'Manager-type Prime Minister' to Handle Emergency Situations
Next Year's Budget, Legislative Relations, and Other Pending Issues Accumulate

Although the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol ultimately failed, the central axis of state administration is expected to shift significantly to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Urgent issues are piling up, from next year's budget, which requires immediate negotiation with the opposition party, to the legislative relations further strained by the emergency martial law situation. In the process of seeking solutions, Prime Minister Han is expected to strengthen communication with the party leadership, including People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon.

On the afternoon of the 7th, immediately after the vote on President Yoon's impeachment motion was defeated at the National Assembly, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo stated in a message "To the People" that he "takes the hearts of the people and the words of the President seriously as Prime Minister."

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is arriving at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 5th. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

Prime Minister Han said, "I will do my utmost as Prime Minister to swiftly resolve the current situation and ensure that the nation's security and the daily lives of the people remain unwavering," and urged, "All cabinet members and public officials in ministries should faithfully perform their duties to maintain the stability of the people's daily lives."

He especially instructed Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Choi Sang-mok and Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs Lee Ju-ho to "pay close attention to every detail with relevant ministries to minimize the negative impact of the current situation on our economy and people's livelihoods."

Earlier that day, President Yoon stated in a public address, "Going forward, the party and the government will take joint responsibility for state administration." Although a significant portion of responsibility for state affairs will fall on Prime Minister Han, given the emergency situation, he is expected to act as a 'management-type prime minister' focused on political stability rather than actively exercising personnel authority.

Prime Minister Han previously served twice as Prime Minister during the Roh Moo-hyun administration and is also regarded as having extensive diplomatic experience, having served as ambassador to the United States during the Lee Myung-bak administration. Taking the lead in state affairs on behalf of President Yoon, he is expected to focus on domestic affairs by seeking solutions to policy issues based on his experience.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon are holding an emergency meeting at the Prime Minister's official residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 7th, when the vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol is scheduled. Photo by People Power Party

The most pressing issue the government currently faces is the resolution of next year's budget, which has been stalled since the ruling party unilaterally pushed through a reduced budget bill. In addition, there are critical issues such as the further strained legislative relations following the emergency martial law situation, medical reform, domestic stock market value enhancement, and expansion of housing supply.

As President Yoon indicated in his address, Prime Minister Han is expected to focus on strengthening cooperation between the party and government in the process of finding solutions to major tasks. Since the passage of bills related to next year's budget in the plenary session is urgent, it is anticipated that he will first establish a close cooperative system with the party leadership in the National Assembly.

A Prime Minister's Office official stated, "Since he is not acting as the president's proxy, the Prime Minister's legal status remains the same as before," but added, "The workload is expected to increase, and the exercise of personnel authority and communication between the party and government will be strengthened."

Meanwhile, the National Assembly held a plenary session that day to vote on President Yoon's impeachment motion, but it was defeated due to a lack of quorum. Impeachment of the president requires the approval of two-thirds of the 300 members of the National Assembly, which is 200 votes, but only 195 members participated in the vote. Most members of the People Power Party, except for Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Ye-ji, and Kim Sang-wook, did not participate. The Democratic Party of Korea plans to reconvene a special session on the 11th after the regular session ends to re-pursue impeachment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.