South Korea votes to impeach acting president weeks after predecessor ousted

South Korea’s parliament has voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo.

It worsens the political turmoil in the country which began after martial law was declared by former president Yoon Suk Yeol, who was also impeached earlier this month.

Han’s impeachment on Friday means he will be stripped of the powers and duties of the president until the Constitutional Court decides whether to dismiss or reinstate him.

The single-chamber National Assembly passed Han’s impeachment motion with a 192-0 vote.

Lawmakers with the governing People Power Party boycotted the vote and gathered around the podium where assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik was seated and shouted that the vote was “invalid” and demanded Woo's resignation.

The court is already reviewing whether to uphold Yoon's earlier impeachment.

Yoon’s martial law imposition, the first of its kind in more than four decades in South Korea, lasted only six hours, but has caused massive political tumult, halted diplomatic activities and rattled financial markets.

Yoon was forced to lift his decree after parliament unanimously voted to overturn it.

After declaring martial law, Yoon sent hundreds of troops and police officers to the parliament to try to impede its vote on the decree before they withdrew after the parliament rejected it.

He faced two impeachment votes in early December and was ousted in the second.

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