Seoul, South Korea — South Korea's opposition-controlled National Assembly voted Friday to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo despite vehement protests by governing party lawmakers, further deepening the country's political crisis set off by President Yoon Suk Yeol's stunning imposition of martial law and ensuing impeachment earlier this month. Han's impeachment means he will be stripped of the powers and duties of the president until the Constitutional Court decides whether to dismiss or reinstate him. The court is already reviewing whether to uphold Yoon's earlier impeachment. The impeachments of the country's top two officials worsen its political turmoil, deepen its economic uncertainty and hurt its international image. The single-chamber National Assembly passed Han's impeachment motion with a 192-0 vote. Lawmakers with the governing People Power Party boycotted the vote and gathered around the podium where assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik was seated and shouted that the vote was "invalid" and demanded Woo's resignation. No violence or injuries were reported. The PPP lawmakers protested after Woo called for a vote on Han's impeachment motion after announcing its passage required a simple majority in the 300-memer assembly, not a two-thirds majority as claimed by the PPP. Most South Korean officials can be impeached by the National Assembly with a simple majority vote, but a president's impeachment needs the support of two-thirds. There are no specific laws on the impeachment of an acting president Han's powers will be officially suspended when copies of his impeachment document are delivered to him and the Constitutional Court. The deputy prime minister and finance minister, Choi Sang-mok, will take over. Agence France-Presse points out that PPP leader Kweon Seong-dong said after the vote that Han "must continue to lead state affairs without yielding to the opposition's passage of the impeachment motion." But Han said in a statement that he "respects the parliament's decision" and would wait for the Constitutional Court's subseq uent decision whether to uphold it. Hudson Meek ‘Baby Driver’ Trump inauguration Black Sea oil spill Texas severe weather Teddy Bridgewater Politics South Korea’s opposition-controlled National Assembly votes to impeach acting President Han By HYUNG-JIN KIM Updated 4:41 PM GMT+6, December 27, 2024 Share SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s opposition-controlled National Assembly voted Friday to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo despite vehement protests by governing party lawmakers, further deepening the country’s political crisis set off by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s stunning imposition of martial law and ensuing impeachment. Han’s impeachment means he will be stripped of the powers and duties of the president until the Constitutional Court decides whether to dismiss or reinstate him. The court is already reviewing whether to uphold Yoon’s earlier impeachment. The impeachments of the country’s top two officials has worsened its political turmoil, deepened economic uncertainties and hurt its international image. The single-chamber National Assembly passed Han’s impeachment motion with a 192-0 vote. Lawmakers with the governing People Power Party boycotted the vote and surrounded the podium where assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik was seated, shouting that the vote was “invalid” and demanding Woo’s resignation. No violence or injuries were reported.