Korean politics in disarray as Choi Sang-mok, who was to become acting president, resigns amid impeachment vote

People Power Party lawmakers protest en masse over the decision by National Assembly Speaker Rep. Woo Won-shik (left, top) to put a motion to impeach Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok to a vote at the National Assembly's plenary session on Thursday. (Yonhap)

South Korea was thrown into political disarray Thursday, as the Democratic Party of Korea moved to impeach Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok in a move widely perceived as retaliation over the Supreme Court's ruling against its presidential candidate.

Choi, who doubles as deputy prime minister and was to replace outgoing Prime Minister Han Duck-soo as acting president Friday, stepped down before a vote could be concluded.

Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Lee Ju-ho is expected to take over as acting president instead.

With Choi's resignation, the number of Cabinet ministers remaining in the conservative government stands at 14, which is smaller than the 15 required by the Constitution to organize a Cabinet meeting.

Choi offered to resign at 10:28 p.m. Thursday and his resignation was quickly accepted by Han, who offered to step down earlier that day in an apparent bid to run for president. Han's role as acting president is to end at midnight.

In a note to reporters, Choi said he "felt sorry for being unable to continue his official duties in the face of grave economic challenges at home and abroad."

Choi's resignation follows the National Assembly's move to impeach him. The Democratic Party had filed a motion to impeach Choi in March citing his "selective" appointment of Constitutional Court justices recommended by the National Assembly. With 170 of the Assembly's 300 seats, the party has the majority required to impeach ministers without the support of other lawmakers.

The Constitutional Court's eight justices in April unanimously upheld former President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment over his botched self-coup attempt.

Upon learning of Choi's resignation — minutes after putting the impeachment motion to the vote — National Assembly Speaker Rep. Woo Won-shik halted voting by lawmakers.

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok (second from left) is seen as participants in a trade consultation between South Korea and the United States posed for a photo in Washington on April 24. (Finance Ministry)

Following Thursday night's debacle, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Lee Ju-ho is set to take over as acting president in accordance with the order of succession.

Earlier on Thursday, the Supreme Court found in a 10-2 ruling that Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's presidential nominee for the June 3 election, was guilty of making false claims during the 2022 presidential election as a candidate and sent the case back to the Seoul High Court.

Describing the ruling as an "unfair intervention" in the election by the Supreme Court, the Democratic Party pushed ahead with its plan to impeach Choi, as well as Shim Woo-jung, chief of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, after holding an emergency meeting later Thursday.

Democratic Party floor spokesperson Noh Jong-myeon denied accusations that the move to impeach Choi was made in response to Thursday's ruling, saying it made the decision to impeach Choi because of Han's resignation earlier Thursday.