South Korea’s MPs vote to impeach acting president

South Korea's parliament impeached acting president Han Duck Soo yesterday, just two weeks after similarly punishing president Yoon Suk Yeol for briefly declaring martial law earlier this month.

- STUTI MISHRA

"I announce that prime minister Han Duck Soo's impeachment motion has passed," the National Assembly speaker Woo Won Shik said following a chaotic voting session. "Out of the 192 lawmakers who voted, 192 voted to impeach." The National Assembly has 300 members and the motion needed 151 votes to pass.

Tensions ran high in the National Assembly as lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party protested against the impeachment process. They objected to the speaker's ruling that a simple majority of 151 votes was required to impeach Mr Han and not 200 as was the case for Mr Yoon.

The opposition had argued that a simple majority was needed to impeach Mr Han as this is the threshold for a cabinet member.