[News Today] FIRST IMPEACHMENT OF ACTING PRES.

[LEAD]
The National Assembly has impeached Acting President Han Duck-soo, marking a historic first. Following the president's impeachment, the Prime Minister, the acting president, has also been impeached and his duties suspended.

[REPORT]
Woo Won-shik / National Assembly Speaker
I declare the passage of the bill to impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

The National Assembly has passed a bill to impeach Acting President Han Duck-soo.

Out of 300 lawmakers, 192 participated in the anonymous vote, all casting votes in favor.

Prior to voting, National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik concluded that a quorum of at least 151 votes, or the majority of the sitting lawmakers, was needed to impeach the prime minister.

Woo Won-shik / National Assembly Speaker
Impeachment motion will be passed if the majority of sitting members vote in favor.

People Power Party lawmakers, who argued for a threshold of 200 votes, equivalent to that for a president, rushed to the speaker’s podium in protest, leading to a scuffle.

Soundbytes: Speaker out! Speaker out!

When the vote began, most of the ruling party lawmakers left.

Only Cho Kyoung-tae cast his vote from the PPP.
It was in favor of Han's impeachment.

Earlier, the Democratic Party launched a procedure to impeach Han for refusing to nominate Constitutional Court justices.

The grounds for his impeachment include the refusal to promulgate two special counsel bills, his conspiracy, connivance and involvement in the martial law incident, and refusal to nominate the justices.

Park Sung-joon / Chief deputy floor leader, Democratic Party
By impeaching Han let's restore common-sense politics and follow reason.

With Han's duties suspended after the passage of the impeachment motion, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok has assumed the role of acting president.

It was the first impeachment by parliament of an acting president in Korea's constitutional history.