South Korean Lawmakers Impeach Acting President

South Korean lawmakers impeached acting president Han Duck-soo on Friday, sinking the country even deeper into political crisis two weeks after his predecessor was suspended over a martial law declaration that shocked the world.

Han, a career bureaucrat who was serving as prime minister, took over from President Yoon Suk Yeol on December 14 after parliament voted to impeach him on allegations of insurrection. Opposition MPs have now also stripped Han of his duties, arguing that he refused demands to complete Yoon's impeachment process and to bring him to justice.

Lawmakers from the ruling People's Power Party (PPP) loudly protested in parliament after the speaker said only a simple majority was required for impeachment to pass, instead of the two-thirds required to remove Yoon.