Park Chandae Suggests 'Pause' on Han Deoksu Impeachment... "Content Must Be Reviewed Carefully"

The impeachment procedure against Prime Minister Han Deok-su of the Democratic Party of Korea appears to be entering a 'temporary pause' stage. Initially, the Democratic Party planned to hold President Yoon Seok-yeol accountable for the December 3 emergency martial law incident and simultaneously push for impeachment procedures against some cabinet members, including Prime Minister Han Deok-su. However, the mood shifted after the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion against President Yoon, initiating the process of suspending his duties.

Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is revising the explanatory statement for the presidential impeachment proposal at the plenary session held at the National Assembly on the 14th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

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On the 14th, Park Chan-dae, the Democratic Party floor leader, told reporters at the National Assembly after the passage of President Yoon's impeachment motion, "Since (Prime Minister Han) holds the primary responsibility as acting president, we will carefully review the details." When a reporter mentioned that "the Han Deok-su acting president system has begun," he said, "Prime Minister Han will probably recognize his historical mission," adding, "Seeing that twelve members cast affirmative votes for the impeachment motion earlier, I thought that although our country faces many trials, it will overcome this crisis." Prime Minister Han assumes the role of acting president when President Yoon's duties are suspended.

When asked if the prime minister's impeachment would be delayed, Park replied, "Yes," and stated, "The most important thing is not who to impeach but to focus on quickly resolving the turmoil." Nevertheless, he added, "There is a considerable likelihood that Prime Minister Han was directly or indirectly involved in the rebellion or the declaration of martial law, so I think these doubts need to be resolved." The Democratic Party has previously filed a complaint with the National Police Agency's Criminal Investigation Headquarters accusing Prime Minister Han of participating in the rebellion.

No Jong-myeon, the party's floor spokesperson, also commented on the 'Prime Minister's impeachment,' saying, "We do not know how the investigation will proceed," and "In any case, the National Assembly has expressed an opinion to suspend the duties of the sitting president. There seem to be many points to consider in connection with this." He added, "The party has no official position to announce yet."

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