The Peninsula

Han Duck-soo's Acting Presidency: A Timeline

Contributors (last name alphabetical): Je Heon (James) Kim, Joo Young Kim

This timeline is a second part of a series that covers “major events” in the aftermath of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024. This part covers the events from Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s assumption of the Acting Presidency until his impeachment. The timeline will periodically update in reverse chronological order with brief descriptions and sources linked to each event. Time stamps follow Korea Standard Time.

Methodology: By “major events,” we mean select events covered under breaking news headline by Yonhap News Agency. The time stamps correspond to the timed posting of the breaking news. Multiple breaking news headlines related to the same event is aggregated into the earliest time stamp for that event.

 

December 27, 2024

17:29 – South Korea’s Prime Minister Han Duck-soo suspended from his duties as Acting President starting as of 5:19 PM. The Prime Minister’s Office receives impeachment resolution from the National Assembly.

17:06 – The ruling People’s Power Party files a constitutional adjudication request and an injunction to suspend the impeachment motion with the Constitutional Court after the National Assembly passes the impeachment motion against Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

16:45 – Acting President Han Duck-soo issues a national address describing the state of affairs leading to his impeachment. In particular, he lays out his reasons for not complying with the opposition party on the Constitutional Court appointments and how he will work through the process as he respects the National Assembly’s decision. He also states that he “will comply with relevant laws and suspend duties to avoid adding to confusion.”

16:39 – South Korean Acting President Han Duck-soo is impeached 13 days after President Yoon’s impeachment. Members of the National Assembly in attendance: 192. Vote is unanimous among those present and voting.

16:29 – Ruling party exits the National Assembly floor.

16:08 – Voting begins for impeachment of Acting President Han Duck-soo. The vote is taken anonymously without roll call.

16:04 – Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won-shik begins the impeachment process. Speaker Woo declares that “this is the impeachment motion against Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Therefore, in accordance with Article 65, Clause 2 of the Constitution, it shall be decided by a majority vote of all sitting members.” Woo also reiterated that “the National Assembly’s impeachment resolution is a demand for the removal from office, and the subject of this impeachment motion is the Prime Minister, who exercises presidential authority on behalf of the President in accordance with the Constitution.” He further explained that “the Constitution stipulates a heightened quorum (two-thirds of all members) only for the President,” and added, “To proceed with this matter, we comprehensively reviewed the opinions of the Constitutional Law Association and the Legislative Research Office to determine the quorum required for a resolution.” After the announcement, members of the ruling People’s Power Party erupt in vocal protest in front of the podium and declare the process invalid.

16:03 – According to the Prosecution’s indictment, President Yoon and former Defense Minister Kim held at least nine discussions about the possibility of martial law starting from March. The prosecutors state that President Yoon repeatedly mentioned terms like “emergency powers” and “special methods” as of March.

15:54 – Impeachment proposal for Acting President Han Duck-soo is submitted to the plenary session of the National Assembly. The motion against Acting President Han includes five charges: veto of the Special Prosecutor Act on Corporal Chae and Kim Kun-hee; conspired in the martial law declaration by convening a cabinet meeting prior to December 3 martial law declaration; attempting to institute an unlawful government through unofficial negotiation with the leader of the ruling People’s Power Party Han Dong-hoon; failure to recommend candidates for the permanent Special Prosecutor for rebellion; refusal to appoint Constitutional Court justices.

15:53 – National Assembly approves nomination of Supreme Court Justice nominee Ma Yong-joo.

14:54 – First preliminary hearing for President Yoon’s impeachment trial concludes after 40 minutes. Next hearing for President Yoon’s impeachment trial set for January 3. President Yoon’s legal team requested to postpone the hearing, but the Court refused to grant this request.

14:44 – The National Assembly requests investigative records from the military prosecutors, prosecutors, and police. The Assembly also requests 15 witnesses for President Yoon’s impeachment trial including former Defense Minister Kim.

14:43 – The Constitutional Court issues a warning to the Presidential legal team stating that “the respondent must cooperate… failure to comply will result in sanctions.” The Court also declared that the “impeachment trial will proceed swiftly… [and the] respondent’s demands will be adequately considered.”

14:35 – Police attempts to raid Presidential Residence in order to obtain CCTV footage and other materials for evidence but fails to do so because of the Presidential Security Service. The police leave the scene after a three-hour standoff.

10:25 – After conducting an emergency cabinet meeting, Vice Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok issues a statement that “impeachment of Acting President is equivalent to impeaching the entire cabinet.” He further added that the “the absence of control tower for state affairs will severely harm [Korea’s] international economic credibility, security, national economy, and the continuity of governance.”

—

December 26, 2024

14:56 – The National Assembly approves appointment of Constitutional Court Justice nominees Ma Eun-hyuk, Jung Gye-seon, and Cho Han-chang.

14:08 – The opposition Democratic Party reports the impeachment motion against Acting President Han to the National Assembly plenary session.

14:02 – The Spokesperson for Constitutional Court Lee Jin states during the regular press briefing that the Court has “no official stance on the required quorum for Acting President Han’s impeachment.” She also noted that while “the National Assembly impeachment committee submitted evidence to the Constitutional Court, no documents have been received from the respondent’s side.”

13:35 – Acting President Han Duck-soo delivers an emergency address to the nation. He states that “if bipartisan agreement is submitted for the Constitutional Court Justice nominees, [he] will immediately appoint the Constitutional Court justices.” However, if the bipartisan agreement is not reached, “the appointment of Constitutional Court justices will be deferred.” He also reiterated that “no Constitutional Court justices have ever been appointed without bipartisan agreement.”

11:22 – Ruling party decides not to participate in the plenary session vote on the consent for Constitutional Court justice appointments. Newly elected Party Leader Kwon Seong-dong states that the ruling party has no plans to proceed with any legislative procedures having to do with Constitutional Court Justice appointments since the party believes that “Acting President Han does not have the authority to appoint Constitutional Court justices.” He also stated that “the impeachment trial itself could be invalidated if Constitutional Court justice appointments are carried out forcibly.”

—

December 24, 2024

08:34 – Acting President Han effectively refuses to approve the nominees for the three vacant Constitutional Court justice positions. He announces that the ruling and opposition parties must come to an agreement first, after which he would immediately approve the justices.

—

December 23, 2024

14:01 – The Constitutional Court declares that it considers the documents for President Yoon’s impeachment trial to have been delivered on the 20th. The president had rebuffed previous attempts to deliver these documents to him, both at the presidential office and at his official residence. The Court states that the preparatory hearing for the impeachment trial would proceed on the 27th.

—

December 21, 2024

10:35 – South Korean and US foreign ministers hold a phone call. Blinken expresses that the United States is cooperating with Acting President Han and that the United States will continue to support the Korean people.

—

December 20, 2024

07:38 – Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho conducts phone call with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The defense chiefs confirmed that the alliance remains firm regardless of political circumstances.

—

December 19, 2024

10:53 – Acting President Han holds phone call with Prime Minister Ishiba of Japan. The two agree to continue to develop stable South Korea-Japan relations and to continue trilateral cooperation among South Korea, Japan, and the United States on North Korea and Russia-North Korea cooperation.

10:30 – Acting President Han Duck-soo exercises veto regarding six bills, including the Grain Management Act.

—

December 17, 2024

04:15 – State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller states during the department’s daily press briefing that “there will be no diminution in the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea.” He adds that the alliance “is not just…an alliance between presidents.  It is an alliance between governments and an alliance between peoples. And our commitment to that alliance remains ironclad.”

—

December 15, 2024

17:41 – The Special Prosecutors summon President Yoon Suk Yeol, but he refuses to appear. The prosecutors plan to issue a second summons. President Yoon states that he does not have a lawyer to represent him yet. If President Yoon continues to ignore the summons without valid justification, the prosecution is expected to seek an arrest warrant and take steps to secure his custody.

17:28 – Police confirm that 1,500 soldiers were mobilized for the martial law incident. Police confirm that approximately 1,500 military personnel were mobilized during the imposition of martial law on December 3. The National Police Agency’s special investigation unit verifies the deployment of soldiers from various military branches, including the Ministry of National Defense, Army, Capital Defense Command, Special Warfare Command, Defense Counterintelligence Command, and the Defense Intelligence Command.

16:30 – Acting President Han Duck-soo visits the National Assembly to meet Speaker Woo Won-shik. In his meeting with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, Acting President Han Duck-soo emphasizes the need to maintain national security and stability, pledging to resolve the current crisis and govern in accordance with the Constitution and the law. Han also expresses hope for swift cooperation between the government and opposition to stabilize state affairs. Speaker Woo, in turn, calls for joint efforts to address the political turmoil and to resolve pressing concerns in areas such as the economy, diplomacy, and defense, urging the prompt activation of the National Stability Council.

12:44 – The government has expressed its support for Lee Jae-myung’s proposal for a “National Stability Council,” stating that it is ready to collaborate with the National Assembly, including both the ruling and opposition parties.

11:14 – Lee Jae-myung proposes National Stability Council as South Korean Government and Opposition Party seek political resolution. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, states that “normalizing South Korea is urgent,” proposing the formation of a “National Stability Council” involving both the National Assembly and the government. While Lee, whose party holds a majority in the National Assembly, calls for a swift ruling by the Constitutional Court on President Yoon’s impeachment, the Democratic Party decides not to pursue impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo over the martial law declaration.

10:03 – The prosecution has requested an arrest warrant for Kwak Jong-geun, former Commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, on charges related to the declaration of martial law.  Prosecutors have requested an arrest warrant for Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun, former head of the Army Special Warfare Command, for his role in the martial law declaration. Kwak is accused of deploying military units to disrupt a parliamentary vote, allegedly colluding with President Yoon and former Defense Minister Kim to incite a riot and subvert the Constitution.

08:16 – Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks with President Biden, “reaffirming democracy and the alliance.” President Biden speaks with Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo reaffirming the United States’ ironclad commitment to the ROK. The two leaders discussed the significant progress made in strengthening the US-ROK Alliance and expressed confidence that it will remain a cornerstone for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region during Acting President Han’s tenure.

00:53 – Secretary of State Antony Blinken states that “Yoon’s impeachment process demonstrates South Korea’s democratic resilience.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterates America’s commitment to its “ironclad” alliance with South Korea during a press conference in Aqaba, Jordan. He praises South Korea’s democratic resilience, noting that the country has peacefully followed the constitutional process, and expresses readiness to work with Acting President Han as he assumes office.

—

December 14, 2024

21:02 – Acting President Han Duck-soo convenes a meeting of the National Security Council.

20:33 – Acting President Han Duck-soo addresses the nation and states “there should be no gap in state affairs.” He emphasized that “Korea has faced many crises, such as the 1997 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, but each time we have risen stronger. Our people have overcome difficulties with united strength and wisdom,” and added that the government “will thoroughly adhere to the constitution and laws to ensure that the nation’s safety and the people’s daily lives are not shaken, and we will strive for stable state management.”

19:33 – Yongsan Presidential Office confirms receipt of the Impeachment Resolution and President Yoon is stripped of his powers as of 19:24. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo assumes duties as Acting President.

—

Dr. Je Heon (James) Kim is the Interim Director at the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI). Joo Young Kim is an Independent Contractor at KEI. The views expressed here are the authors’ alone.

Photo from Shutterstock.

KEI is registered under the FARA as an agent of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, a public corporation established by the government of the Republic of Korea. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.