Opposition-led motion to impeach finance minister reported to National Assembly

Opposition lawmakers submit an impeachment motion against Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok to the National Assembly, March 21. Yonhap

An impeachment motion against Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok was reported to the plenary session of the National Assembly on Wednesday, just two days before the Constitutional Court's verdict on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment.

The motion led by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) accuses Choi, who was then acting president, of delaying the appointment of a ninth justice at the Constitutional Court, among other reasons.

In late December, Choi appointed two justices to the nine-member bench but did not appoint opposition-recommended Justice candidate Ma Eun-hyuk, citing the need for a bipartisan consensus.

The DPK had pressured Choi to appoint the left-leaning justice nominee in a bid to bolster the likelihood of Yoon's impeachment, which requires the consent of at least six justices to uphold it. Currently, the court has eight justices.

By law, the National Assembly must vote on the impeachment motion between 24 and 72 hours after it is reported to a plenary session.

It remains unclear when the voting will take place as the court is set to decide whether to remove Yoon from office or reinstate him Friday. (Yonhap)