South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok said on Tuesday he would immediately move to fill vacancies on the Constitutional Court in a effort to restore stability after the impeachment of two of his predecessors this month triggered political turmoil.
Finance Minister Choi became acting leader on Friday after the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who had been acting president since Dec. 14 when Yoon Suk Yeol was suspended from power after a short-lived attempt to impose martial law on Dec. 3.
Choi said he would appoint two Constitutional Court justices immediately, and a third when ruling and opposition parties can agree on nominating a candidate.
"Having succeeded as acting President on December 27, I decided to appoint Constitutional Court justices because of the urgency of ending political uncertainty and social conflict as soon as possible, to stop the possibility of crises in the economy and people's livelihoods," Choi said in a Cabinet meeting.
Credit ratings agency Fitch warned this month that any slowdown from a prolonged political crisis and internal division could lead to a credit rating cut in Asia's fourth-largest economy.
Han was impeached after he declined to immediately appoint three justices to fill vacancies at the Constitutional Court, saying it would exceed his powers as acting president.
The court is set to decide the fate of both Yoon and Han, on whether to oust them from their positions completely or restore their powers.
South Korea's Constitution requires six justices to agree on the ouster of an impeached president. But the nine-member court had three vacancies, so the current justices would have had to vote unanimously to remove Yoon.
The appointment of the justices has been a point of contention between the opposition Democratic Party which controls parliament, and Yoon's ruling People Power Party.
Choi pleaded with the ruling and opposition parties to work with the government to resolve political uncertainties, handle the aftermath of the most severe plane crash on South Korean soil and bolster people's livelihoods.
Fire engulfs an 8-story building in Seongnam, South Korea; 12 hospitalized for smoke inhalation, 30 rescued as firefighters deploy 82 vehicles to control the blaze.
Protests erupted outside the South Korean presidential residence , as supporters and opponents of President Yoon Suk Yeol clashed. The protests were sparked by a court's approval of a warrant for his arrest related to his controversial attempt to impose martial law.
South Korean police raid Jeju Air and Muan Airport following a deadly crash that killed 179 people, as investigators probe the cause and focus on aircraft maintenance and airport safety.
South Korea completes identification of all 179 victims of Jeju Air plane crash. Authorities are focusing on the cause of the tragedy, with safety concerns about the airport’s runway design.
China discovers a new lunar crystal, Changesite-(Y), containing helium-3, a potential game-changer for clean nuclear fusion energy, intensifying the race to mine the moon.
The U.S. Surgeon General calls for cancer risk warnings on alcohol labels, highlighting links to seven cancers and urging updated consumption guidelines.
Germany faces calls for stricter fireworks regulations after New Year’s Eve chaos left 5 dead, dozens injured, and over 400 arrests in Berlin.
BYD surpassed Tesla in fourth-quarter EV deliveries, with a 13.1% sales increase, while Tesla saw a 5% rise.
AZAL has released the crew list for flight J2-8243, which crashed in Aktau today.
Farid Huseynov, Head of the AZAL Press Department, has confirmed that a total of 67 people were on board the plane involved in the recent incident, including 62 passengers and 5 crew members.
Germany faces calls for stricter fireworks regulations after New Year’s Eve chaos left 5 dead, dozens injured, and over 400 arrests in Berlin.
Belgium strengthens ties with Türkiye, marking 60 years of cooperation. Support for EU accession, trade growth, Syria’s reconstruction, and a call for peace in Israel-Palestine.
Fire engulfs an 8-story building in Seongnam, South Korea; 12 hospitalized for smoke inhalation, 30 rescued as firefighters deploy 82 vehicles to control the blaze.
Ghana's parliament approves a $4.65 billion provisional budget, averting a shutdown as John Mahama prepares to take office amid economic and energy sector challenges.
China discovers a new lunar crystal, Changesite-(Y), containing helium-3, a potential game-changer for clean nuclear fusion energy, intensifying the race to mine the moon.
The U.S. Surgeon General calls for cancer risk warnings on alcohol labels, highlighting links to seven cancers and urging updated consumption guidelines.
Germany faces calls for stricter fireworks regulations after New Year’s Eve chaos left 5 dead, dozens injured, and over 400 arrests in Berlin.
BYD surpassed Tesla in fourth-quarter EV deliveries, with a 13.1% sales increase, while Tesla saw a 5% rise.
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