The main opposition parties have said they will not call for the acting president to be impeached after the attempted martial law attempt.
South Korea is seeking to reassure allies after opposition leaders have offered to work with the government to restore peace following the impeachment of President Yun Seok-yeol.
Acting President Han Deok-soo spoke by phone with U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday, a day after Yun was suspended for trying to impose martial law earlier this month, according to the White House and Han’s office.
South Korea’s National Assembly on Saturday voted to impeach and suspend Yoon from office, accusing him of plunging South Korea into political turmoil with his power grab.
Mr. Han, who was elected prime minister by the conservative Mr. Yun, was promoted to acting president in accordance with the constitution, and Mr. Yun’s case has now been transferred to the Constitutional Court.
“South Korea will carry out its foreign and security policies without disruption, and strive to firmly maintain and develop the South Korea-US alliance,” Han said in a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
In a further attempt to stabilize the country’s leadership, the main opposition party announced it would not seek the impeachment of Han over Yun’s imposition of martial law.
Representative Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea told reporters, “Considering that the prime minister has already been appointed acting president and excessive impeachment could cause chaos in national governance, we should not proceed with the impeachment process.” “I did it,” he said.
Mr. Lee, who holds a majority in the National Assembly, called on the Constitutional Court to issue a swift ruling on Mr. Yoon’s impeachment and proposed the establishment of a special council for policy cooperation between the government and Congress.
Yonhap News reported that prosecutors said Yoon did not appear Sunday morning for questioning in the criminal investigation into the martial law decision and said they would issue a new order.
Yun and many other senior officials could face charges including sedition, abuse of power and obstructing people’s exercise of their rights.
Demonstrators demanding Yoon’s removal braved the cold to gather on the street outside the National Assembly building where he was impeached. Police said the crowd was about 200,000 people, Yonhap News reported.
Protesters have taken to the streets since martial law was declared on Dec. 3, but Yun’s efforts were unsuccessful due to the swift response of rebels and demonstrators.
Mr. Yoon’s sudden declaration of martial law infuriated markets and South Korea’s diplomatic partners, who were concerned about South Korea’s ability to deter its enemy, North Korea.
Biden told Han that the iron-clad U.S.-South Korea alliance remains intact and that the United States will work with South Korea to further strengthen it, according to Han’s office.
The two countries also discussed military provocations by North Korea, while Mr. Han vowed to maintain military preparedness to prevent violations of national security, Yonhap News reported.
The Constitutional Court has given up to six months to decide whether to dismiss or reinstate Yoon. If he is removed from office or resigns, new elections will be held within 60 days.
