Impeachment motion filed against S. Korea's acting president

South Korea's opposition said on Dec 26 that it filed an impeachment motion against Acting President Han Duck-soo, after he refused to appoint Constitutional Court judges to complete the process of removing his predecessor from office.

South Korea suffered a political crisis when President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is currently suspended, made a short-lived declaration of martial law on Dec 3.

Mr Yoon was stripped of his duties by Parliament on Dec 14 over the action, but a Constitutional Court ruling upholding the decision by lawmakers is necessary to complete the impeachment process.

The court is, however, currently short of three judges. While it can go ahead with its six members on the bench, a single dissenting vote would reinstate Mr Yoon.

The opposition wants Mr Han to approve three more nominees to fill the bench, something that he has so far refused to do, essentially leaving both sides in a deadlock.

The opposition Democratic Party therefore wants the South Korean Acting President impeached too.

"We have filed the motion... and will report it to the plenary session today," MP Park Sung-joon told reporters at the National Assembly of the action against Mr Han.

"We will put it to a vote tomorrow."