South Korea’s five opposition parties, led by the Democratic Party of Korea, submitted a motion to impeach Acting President Choi Sang-mok. The Democratic Party cited Choi’s holding off the appointment of Ma Eun-hyeok as a Constitutional Court judge, his refusal to appoint a candidate for the permanent special counsel in charge of launching an investigation into President Yoon Suk-yeol, and Choi’s alleged involvement in Yoon’s failed martial law bid as reasons for submitting the impeachment motion. The National Assembly will vote on the impeachment motion at the next plenary session scheduled for March 27. The Democratic party is attempting to call the session earlier by persuading Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, a party member.
Since Yoon took office in 2022, the Democratic Party has submitted 30 impeachment motions, 13 of which have passed the National Assembly. Eight cases have been dismissed by the Constitutional Court so far. The court’s ruling on former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s impeachment, set for March 24, is also likely to be dismissed. If Han returns to work next week as acting president, Choi’s impeachment motion becomes irrelevant. Despite the expected outcome, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung took a hardline stance and pushed ahead with Choi’s impeachment.
The Democratic Party’s 30 impeachment motions are unprecedented in Korean constitutional history. Impeaching the prime minister while the president is suspended from duty—thus creating a chain of acting presidents—is an overreach. At this point, the effort is no longer a matter of checking executive power. It undermines the outcome of a democratic election and borders on a constitutional violation.
Adding to the pressure campaign, the Democratic Party also filed a criminal complaint against Choi with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO), accusing him of coercing companies to fund the Mir Foundation when he served as a secretary to the President during the former Park Geun-hye administration. This matter had already been thoroughly investigated at the time and concluded with no charges. Reopening it now appears politically motivated. Lee Jae-myung warned Choi to “watch himself” while the Democratic Party exerts pressure through impeachment and criminal prosecution.
Reports suggest Lee is acting out of frustration. He had reportedly hoped for a Constitutional Court ruling on the president’s impeachment before his own sentencing, scheduled for March 26, but that prospect now seems unlikely.
With both Lee’s verdict and the court’s impeachment ruling approaching, tensions are running high. Neither side has officially pledged to respect the outcome but appears to be stoking division. Even a tiny spark could escalate into a crisis in such a volatile atmosphere. If this political brinkmanship continues, the consequences could be dire.
