SEOUL — South Korea's National Assembly voted on Wednesday to impeach President Han Duck-soo, with 191 of 300 lawmakers supporting the motion after weeks of mounting pressure over his alleged authorization of illegal surveillance operations targeting opposition leaders and journalists.
The impeachment was triggered by leaked documents published earlier this month by the Hankyoreh newspaper, which revealed that the National Intelligence Service had conducted warrantless wiretapping of at least 14 members of the Democratic Party of Korea and several prominent investigative reporters since late 2025. President Han, who assumed expanded executive authority following the political upheaval of 2024-2025, initially denied any knowledge of the operations before his former chief of staff testified to the contrary before a parliamentary committee on March 12.
The ruling People Power Party fractured over the crisis, with at least 28 of its lawmakers crossing the aisle to vote in favor of impeachment. Party leader Kweon Seong-dong called it a "painful but necessary act of constitutional stewardship," while loyalists to Han denounced the move as a politically motivated witch hunt. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, many holding candles in echoes of the 2016 demonstrations that preceded the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.
Prime Minister Choo Kyung-ho will assume presidential duties while the Constitutional Court reviews the impeachment motion, a process that could take up to 180 days. Legal scholars widely expect the court to uphold the decision, given the strength of the documentary evidence. "The surveillance program violated multiple provisions of the National Intelligence Service Act and the Constitution's protections on privacy and political freedom," said Professor Kim Sun-taek of Korea University's law school.
The political crisis comes at a sensitive moment for the Korean Peninsula, with stalled denuclearization discussions and ongoing joint military exercises with the United States. Washington issued a carefully worded statement calling the impeachment "an internal democratic process" while expressing confidence in the continuity of the U.S.-South Korea alliance. Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi similarly emphasized the importance of stable bilateral relations.
If the Constitutional Court upholds the impeachment, a snap presidential election must be held within 60 days. Early polling suggests Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, who was himself acquitted of corruption charges in 2025, would be the frontrunner, potentially marking a dramatic shift in South Korea's political trajectory.