South Korea’s acting President, Choi Sang-mok, declared on Tuesday that he would appoint two justices to the Constitutional Court immediately in a bid to restore stability following the impeachment of two of his predecessors. Choi, who took over as acting president on December 27 after Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was impeached, stressed the urgent need to resolve political uncertainty and prevent further crises in the country’s economy and public welfare.
Choi has made the decision to fill the vacancies after months of turmoil triggered by the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was suspended from power earlier this month after a brief attempt to impose martial law. The impeachment of Han, who had been acting president since December 14, added to the political instability. Han had declined to fill three vacancies at the Constitutional Court on grounds that he was not constitutionally empowered to do so given his temporary appointment.
In a Cabinet meeting, Choi pointed out the urgency of settling the impasse soon, mentioning that the appointments of justices could bring an end to the political deadlock and should not be affected in any other manner. Both Yoon and Han are in line for rulings from the Constitutional Court, with it deciding on their permanent ouster or their powers being restored to them.
As an outcome, the controversy has caused tension between South Korea’s ruling People Power Party, which supports these appointments, and the opposition Democratic Party, which controls the parliament. The new controversial nominations have risen controversy and further fuelled the ongoing political crisis.
Choi called for cooperation from both sides to address the constitutional crisis and the plane crash tragedy as it relates to the welfare of the South Korean people. In the meantime, Fitch Ratings has warned that the country’s political instability might lead to a downgrade in its credit rating if the crisis persists.
