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BERITA BAHASA INDONESIA
TOK PISIN
Topic:World Politics
South Korean politicians have impeached acting President Han Duck-soo. (Reuters: Kim Soo-hyeon)
A majority of South Korea's parliament has voted to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo.
Prime Minister Han has been acting president since President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached on December 14.
Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is next in line to assume the acting presidency.
A majority of South Korea's parliament has voted to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo.
Mr Han, who is also prime minister, has been acting president since President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached on December 14 over his short-lived imposition of martial law earlier this month.
The impeachment motion led by opposition parties, passed with 192 of the 300 votes.
It came amid rowdy scenes by ruling People Power Party members, who surrounded the speaker's podium chanting that the vote was invalid and parliament had committed "tyranny".
Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is next in line to assume the acting presidency after Mr Han's impeachment, according to South Korean law.
In a statement after the vote, Mr Han said he would step aside to avoid more chaos and would await a Constitutional Court ruling on his impeachment.
Mr Choi had pleaded earlier with parliament to withdraw the plan to impeach Mr Han and said it would do serious damage to the country's economy.
Choi Sang-mok is next in line to assume the acting presidency. (AFP: Jung Yeon-je)
The main opposition, the Democratic Party (DP), which controls parliament, decided to impeach Mr Han after he did not immediately appoint three justices to fill vacancies at the Constitutional Court.
The DP-controlled parliament backed three nominees on Thursday, but Mr Han said he would not formally appoint them unless there was bipartisan agreement on the appointments.
A defiant South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has faced a second impeachment vote over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law earlier this month.
Before the parliamentary session, DP leader Lee Jae-myung accused Mr Han of "acting for insurrection".
"The only way to normalise the country is to swiftly root out all the insurrection forces," Mr Lee said.
There has been disagreement between the ruling and opposition parties and some constitutional scholars over whether a simple majority or a two-thirds vote is needed to impeach the acting president.
However, parliament speaker Woo Won-shik, from the DP, said only a simple majority was needed to impeach Mr Han.
People Power Party politicians protest against National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik during the acting president's impeachment vote. (Reuters: Kim Hong)
The vote against Mr Han comes on the same day the Constitutional Court held its first hearing in a case reviewing whether to overturn Mr Yoon's impeachment.
The case will decide whether to reinstate Mr Yoon or remove him permanently from office and has 180 days to reach a decision.
Reuters
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