{"id":2207773,"date":"2025-01-01T08:00:34","date_gmt":"2024-12-31T23:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2207773"},"modified":"2024-12-31T19:13:41","modified_gmt":"2024-12-31T10:13:41","slug":"south-koreas-acting-president-appoints-justices-as-yoon-suk-yeol-faces-arrest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/01\/south-koreas-acting-president-appoints-justices-as-yoon-suk-yeol-faces-arrest\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea\u2019s acting president appoints justices as Yoon Suk-yeol faces arrest"},"content":{"rendered":"

South Korea\u2019s Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Tuesday <\/span>appointed<\/span><\/a> two out of three pending justices to the Constitutional Court, a move his predecessor, Han Duck-soo, <\/span>declined<\/span><\/a> to make before his <\/span>impeachment<\/span><\/a> on Friday. The appointments come as the court prepares to deliberate on the impeachment and potential removal of President Yoon Suk-yeol following allegations of rebellion and abuse of power linked to his brief <\/span>martial law declaration<\/span><\/a> on Dec. 3.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the appointments, the Cabinet <\/span>vetoed<\/span><\/a> two special counsel investigation bills that the National Assembly passed. The first bill aimed to investigate corruption allegations involving first lady Kim Keon-hee and the second aimed to investigate Yoon\u2019s martial law declaration.<\/span><\/p>\n

The announcements came after the issuance of an <\/span>arrest warrant<\/span><\/a> for Yoon, marking the first time a sitting president has faced such a legal action. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) alleges that Yoon orchestrated actions involving military deployments and planned arrests of political figures. The warrant, valid until Jan. 6, 2025, faces resistance from the Presidential Security Service (PSS), while Yoon\u2019s legal team has vowed to challenge its legality.<\/span><\/p>\n

WHY IT MATTERS<\/b><\/p>\n

The acting president\u2019s decision to appoint two Constitutional Court justices may ensure that the court can adjudicate the impeachment case, resolving one aspect of South Korea\u2019s political paralysis. However, Choi\u2019s actions has invited criticism from the ruling People Power Party, which has consistently <\/span>argued<\/span><\/a> that an acting president lacks the authority to appoint Constitutional Court justices during a presidential suspension. Meanwhile, the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) criticized Choi for not appointing the third DP-nominated justice and for vetoing the two special counsel investigation bills.<\/span><\/p>\n

Choi stated that he would appoint the third justice after the ruling and opposition parties reach a political agreement on the appointment, in an apparent nod to Han\u2019s initial request.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the issuance of an arrest warrant for Yoon, even post-impeachment, signals a profound erosion of executive legitimacy. His presidency is now effectively in free fall, with the charges tarnishing his reputation irreparably regardless of the legal outcome.<\/span><\/p>\n

The potential for a clash between the PSS and investigators executing the warrant adds to the chaos. The PSS has signaled it may resist enforcement under the guise of security measures, raising concerns about the rule of law. Such a standoff would not only erode public confidence in domestic institutions but also damage South Korea\u2019s global reputation as a stable democracy and reliable partner in the Indo-Pacific.<\/span><\/p>\n

Domestic Politics<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

South Korea\u2019s Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Tuesday appointed two out of three pending justices to the Constitutional Court, a move his predecessor, Han Duck-soo, declined to make before his impeachment on Friday. The appointments come as the court prepares to deliberate on the impeachment and potential removal of President Yoon Suk-yeol following allegations of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10407,"featured_media":2207774,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[27],"class_list":["post-2207773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-briefings","tag-domestic-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nSouth Korea\u2019s acting president appoints justices as Yoon Suk-yeol faces arrest - KOREA PRO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/01\/south-koreas-acting-president-appoints-justices-as-yoon-suk-yeol-faces-arrest\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"South Korea\u2019s acting president appoints justices as Yoon Suk-yeol faces arrest - KOREA PRO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"South Korea\u2019s Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Tuesday appointed two out of three pending justices to the Constitutional Court, a move his predecessor, Han Duck-soo, declined to make before his impeachment on Friday. 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