South Korea: Lawmakers vote to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo

A motion to impeach Han passed unanimously in a 192-0 vote, marking the first time an acting president was impeached by parliament, reported South Korean Yonhap news agency.

He will now be suspended from his duties after the impeachment resolution is delivered to him.

According to reports, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will act as the president and the acting prime minister of the country.

It was assumed that Han Duck-soo would guide South Korea out of the political crisis after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached over his failed attempt to impose martial law on December 3, a step that drove the country towards chaos.

Opposition leaders criticised Han Duck-soo and argued that he was refusing demands to complete Yoon's impeachment process.

At the time of voting on Friday, chaotic scenes prevailed in the Parliament.

Lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party reportedly protested after the National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik announced that only 151 votes would be needed to pass the impeachment bill.

The ruling party members chanted 'abuse of power' and demanded the Speaker to step down.

Most of them boycotted the vote.

On December 3,  Yoon left the nation by surprise when he declared the imposition of martial law.

He cited the need to protect the nation from "anti-state" forces as the ground for imposing the law.

He later reversed the order after 190 MPs voted it down.