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Opposition parties unilaterally passed the bill during a subcommittee meeting of the National Assembly’s legislation and judiciary committee. Lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote in protest of the bill.

The new version proposes that the Supreme Court’s chief justice recommend a special counsel to look into Yoon’s insurrection charges in an apparent effort to secure more defection votes from the PPP.

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) also excludes a clause that allows opposition parties to request a new recommendation in the event the proposed candidate is deemed unfit.

Instead, the revised bill expands the scope of the investigation to include fresh allegations of “treason” committed by Yoon against his own country. The DPK claims Yoon attempted to provoke military attacks from North Korea to justify his plans for martial law declaration.

“It is difficult to say that the overall arrangement, plan and implementation process of the insurrection have been fully revealed,” DPK Rep. Park Beom-kye, the subcommittee chair, said.

Park stressed that the special counsel should investigate the insurrection more broadly than previously investigated by the prosecution, police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials.

To address concerns about the potential leakage of military information, searches and seizures will be allowed but details will be prohibited from being disclosed during press briefings.

The number of prosecutors and investigators dispatched will also be reduced from 205 to 155, and the investigation period has been shortened from 170 days to 150 days.

The previous bill, which proposed special counsel recommendations from the DPK and the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party, was scrapped Wednesday after being voted down by just two votes.

When the new bill passes the plenary session of the legislation and judiciary committee Monday, it is expected to advance to a full floor vote next week. (Yonhap)

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Han’s dismissal comes less than two weeks after he assumed the acting presidency following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment by the Assembly on Dec. 14 for his botched martial law imposition. This marks the first time in Korean history that both the president and prime minister — the top two figures in the government hierarchy — have been simultaneously suspended from their duties.

The impeachment motion against Han, submitted by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Thursday, was approved in a plenary session with 192 of the 300-seat Assembly voting in favor.

While the vote was unanimous, it appeared to be railroaded by opposition lawmakers, as the broader opposition bloc holds all 192 seats, while the ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote.

The PPP, which holds the remaining 108 seats, did not participate in the vote, protesting against the Assembly speaker’s decision regarding the quorum requirement of 151 votes. The rival parties had been at odds over the required voting threshold for the acting president’s impeachment.

Under the Constitution, the passage of an impeachment motion against the prime minister requires a majority of the 300-seat Assembly, or 151 votes. Impeaching a president, however, requires the approval of at least two-thirds of the total Assembly members, or 200 votes in favor.

The DPK argued that Han, who is technically serving as prime minister, falls under the majority-vote requirement, while the PPP contended that Han should be treated as a president.

Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik determined that Han’s impeachment requires 151 ballots.

“This is an impeachment motion against Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. In accordance with Article 65 Clause 2 of the Constitution, it will be approved by a majority of total members. While there are differing views on the quorum, the subject of this impeachment motion is the prime minister, who is temporarily exercising presidential power,” Woo said before the voting.

PPP members strongly protested, chanting slogans such as “the speaker should resign,” and “abuse of power.” They left the Chamber as the vote count began.

Following the passage of the impeachment motion, the Constitutional Court has 180 days to decide whether to uphold Han’s impeachment. In the meantime, Han’s duties will be suspended, and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who also serves as minister of economy and finance, will assume interim leadership.

“I respect the decision of the National Assembly, and in order to prevent further confusion and uncertainties, my duties will be suspended in accordance with relevant laws, while I will wait for the swift and wise decision of the Constitutional Court,” Han said in a statement, shortly after his impeachment motion was passed.

The DPK filed the impeachment motion, Thursday, shortly after Han delayed the appointment of three Constitutional Court justice nominees who had won parliamentary approval.

The opposition has been pushing for the quick appointment of justices to fill three vacancies on the nine-member Constitutional Court, as a full bench would increase the likelihood of endorsing Yoon’s impeachment.

The PPP has countered that Han, as acting president, does not have the authority to appoint justices until Yoon is formally impeached.

In a televised briefing on Thursday, Han stated that he would not approve the appointments until the ruling and opposition blocs reached an agreement on the matter.

The DPK also argued that the prime minister deserved impeachment for additional reasons, including his veto of special probe bills targeting the presidential couple, his alleged involvement in Yoon’s botched martial law imposition, and his attempt earlier this month to establish a power-sharing arrangement with then-PPP leader Han Dong-hoon. The party claimed that these actions lacked legal grounds.

DPK leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung described Han’s impeachment as part of the party’s efforts to dismantle what he referred to as “rebellion forces” linked to Yoon’s martial law fallout.

“We will mobilize all resources and fulfill our historical responsibility until Yoon Suk Yeol is removed from office, his loyalist forces are eradicated, and the rebellion is fully suppressed,” Lee said during a briefing, hours before the impeachment vote.

The PPP criticized the opposition’s move, calling the DPK “a serial impeachment offender.”

“This is already the 29th impeachment motion under the incumbent administration,” said PPP acting leader Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, questioning whether other Cabinet members would also face impeachment.

The governing party filed a complaint to the Constitutional Court against the Assembly speaker shortly after the motion was passed, claiming that Han’s impeachment lacks legal basis.

“Despite the fact that the prime minister holds the role of acting president, his failure to apply the quorum threshold for the president is a major violation of the Constitution,” the party said in a statement.

Following Han’s impeachment, Choi, the deputy prime minister, will assume the role of acting president.

However, it remains uncertain whether Choi, a seasoned economist who also serves as finance minister, will cooperate with the opposition parties in appointing Constitutional Court justices. It is also unclear how active he will be in exercising power in this unprecedented situation, where leadership has passed to the No. 3 figure in the government hierarchy.

“Minimizing the chaos in state affairs is the most urgent task right now. The government will put all of its efforts into maintaining robust security, a stable economy, and law and order, so that the safety of the nation and people’s daily lives are not disrupted,” Choi said in a public address, following Han’s suspension of duty.

Before the parliamentary vote on Han’s impeachment, Choi had requested the DPK to reconsider its move, expressing concerns that ousting the acting president would deal a heavy blow to the nation’s economy.

“The absence of a control tower for state affairs will deal a severe blow to Korea’s credibility, security, the economy and continuity of governance, as already evident in the sharp weakening of the won against the dollar,” Choi said during a press briefing.

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Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her 2017 visit to war-torn Syria as she ducked into one of several private meetings with senators who are being asked to confirm Trump’s unusual nominees.

But the Democrat-turned-Republican Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel delivered a statement in which she reiterated her support for Trump’s America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military footprint overseas.

“I want to address the issue that’s in the headlines right now: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days with regards to the developments in Syria,” Gabbard said exiting a Senate meeting.

The incoming president’s Cabinet and top administrative choices are dividing his Republican allies and drawing concern, if not full opposition, from Democrats and others. Not just Gabbard, but other Trump nominees including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, were back at the Capitol ahead of what is expected to be volatile confirmation hearings next year.

The incoming president is working to put his team in place for an ambitious agenda of mass immigrant deportations, firing federal workers and rollbacks of U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO allies.

“We’re going to sit down and visit, that’s what this is all about,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., as he welcomed Gabbard into his office.

The president-elect announced other appointments Monday, including his lawyer Harmeet Dhillon for assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Justice Department and Mark Paoletta as the returning general counsel of the Office of Management and Budget.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary pick Hegseth appeared to be picking up support from once-skeptical senators, the former Army National Guard major denying sexual misconduct allegations and pledging not to drink alcohol if he is confirmed.

The president-elect’s choice to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, who has written extensively about locking up Trump’s foes and proposed dismantling the Federal Bureau of Investigation, launched his first visits with senators Monday.

“I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on social media.

Despite widespread concern about the nominees’ qualifications and demeanors for the jobs that are among the highest positions in the U.S. government, Trump’s team is portraying the criticism against them as nothing more than political smears and innuendo.

Showing that concern, nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government’s files on Gabbard.

Trump’s allies have described the criticisms of Hegseth in particular as similar to those lodged against Brett Kavanaugh, the former president’s Supreme Court nominee who denied a sexual assault allegation and went on to be confirmed during Trump’s first term in office.

Said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., about Hegseth: “Anonymous accusations are trying to destroy reputations again. We saw this with Kavanaugh. I won’t stand for it.”

One widely watched Republican, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and sexual assault survivor who had been criticized by Trump allies for her cool reception to Hegseth, appeared more open to him after their follow-up meeting Monday.

“I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst said in a statement.

Ernst said that following “encouraging conversations,” he had committed to selecting a senior official who will “prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.”

Hegseth, in an interview late Monday with Sean Hannity of Fox News, said he had a “great meeting” with Ernst and “the fact that she’s willing to support me through this process means a lot.”

Hegseth said he had meetings scheduled this week with two other female Republican senators — Lisa Murkowski of Alaska on Tuesday and Susan Collins of Maine on Wednesday.

Ernst, meanwhile, also had praise for Patel — “He shares my passion for shaking up federal agencies” — and for Gabbard.

Once a rising Democratic star, Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress, arrived a decade ago in Washington, her surfboard in tow, a new generation of potential leaders. She ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020.

But Gabbard abruptly left the party and briefly became an independent before joining with Trump’s 2024 campaign as one of his enthusiasts, in large part over his disdain for U.S. involvement overseas and opposition to helping Ukraine battle Russia.

Her visit to Syria to meet with then-President Bashar Assad around the time of Trump’s first inauguration during the country’s bloody civil war stunned her former colleagues and the Washington national security establishment. The U.S. had severed diplomatic relations with Syria. Her visit was seen by some as legitimizing a brutal leader who was accused of war crimes.

Gabbard has defended the trip, saying it’s important to open dialogue, but critics hear in her commentary echoes of Russia-fueled talking points. Assad fled to Moscow over the weekend after Islamist rebels overtook Syria in a surprise attack, ending his family’s five decades of rule.

She said her own views have been shaped by “my multiple deployments and seeing firsthand the cost of war and the threat of Islamist terrorism.”

Gabbard said, “It’s one of the many reasons why I appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his election, where he is fully committed, as he has said over and over, to bring about an end to wars.”

Last week, the nearly 100 former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said in the letter to Senate leaders they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies.

They said her past actions “call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.”

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to coordinate the nation’s intelligence agencies and act as the president’s main intelligence adviser.

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Iran’s Vice President for Legal Affairs Mohammad Dehghan reacted to the ruling issued by the Canadian court ruling over Flight PS752 case.

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“I wanted to write and let you know how proud I am of the entire Regiment ahead of the Colonel’s Review and Trooping the Colour,” Middleton wrote in the letter. “I appreciate everyone trooping this year has been practicing for months, and dedicating many hours to ensuring their uniforms and drill are immaculate.”

She continued the letter by saying that her role as the Colonel of the Irish Guards is an “honour” and that she hopes to be able to represent the Regiment again “very soon.”

The British Army had originally included Middleton on their website as an attendee of today’s parade, which is called the Colonel’s Review. It’s a prestigious event which forms the final rehearsal ahead of the King’s Birthday Parade, which takes place this year on June 15. Middleton’s role as Colonel typically results in her attendance.

The Colonel’s Review parade, which is the part of the “Trooping the Colour,” was celebrated in London, U.K. on June 8, 2024. Rasid Necati Aslim—GettyImages

In early March, though, before news of Middleton’s diagnosis had been made public, the U.K. Army removed its claim that she would attend, after much speculation on whether or not the Princess would appear.

The Princess of Wales’ absence comes as she continues to take a break from public-facing duties since her announcement that she was diagnosed with cancer following a planned abdominal surgery. In a video message shared on March 22, Middleton said the diagnosis came as a “huge shock” and that she and her family had needed time to process the news. The mother-of-three said she would be undergoing a course of “preventative chemotherapy.”

The Irish Guard’s official X (formerly Twitter) account posted earlier today, in light of the royal’s correspondence. “The Irish Guards were deeply touched to receive a letter from our Colonel, Her Royal Highness, The Princess of Wales this morning,” they said. “We continue to wish Her Royal Highness well in her recovery and send Her our very best wishes.”

Accompanying the X post is video of the regiment listening to Middleton’s letter aloud, and clapping at the end.

In Middleton’s place, Lieutenant General James Bucknall, the former commander of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps instead took the salute.

King Charles III, who in February announced his own diagnosis with an undisclosed form of cancer, is set to attend the final Trooping the Colour parade on June 15.

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Iran’s acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani and Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan stressed on Tuesday that the bilateral cooperation between the two nations will guarantee regional security and stability.

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