Political Clash: South Korean Parliament Demands Withdrawal of Constitutional Court Nominees ⚖️

The South Korean political landscape is witnessing a fierce battle as the National Assembly, led by the Democratic Party, passed a resolution urging the withdrawal of two nominees for the Constitutional Court. The nominees, Lee Wan-kyu, head of the Ministry of Government Legislation, and Ham Sang-hoon, a senior judge at the Seoul High Court, were appointed by Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

Key Points of the Resolution 📜

• Unconstitutional Overreach: The resolution condemns Han Duck-soo’s appointments as an unconstitutional overreach of power.
• Support for Legal Action: It supports the filing of a constitutional appeal and a request for suspension of the appointments’ effect by the National Assembly.
• Democratic Party’s Stance: The Democratic Party spearheaded the resolution, emphasizing the need to uphold the separation of powers.

Republican Party’s Opposition 🚫

The People Power Party (국민의힘, Gungminuihim), the conservative opposition, vehemently opposed the resolution, arguing that Han Duck-soo’s actions were within his legitimate authority. They boycotted the vote, accusing the Democratic Party of double standards and undermining the principle of separation of powers (삼권분립, Samgwonbunlip). They also criticized the parliament speaker, Woo Won-shik, for biased proceedings.

Speaker’s Response and Government Absence 🗣️

Speaker Woo Won-shik defended the parliament’s actions, stating that they were acting in accordance with the will of the people to safeguard democracy. He also expressed disappointment over Acting President Han Duck-soo’s absence from the parliamentary interpellation for the second consecutive day.

This political showdown highlights the deep divisions within South Korea’s government and raises questions about the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches. 🤔