Foreign Ministry "Deepens Korea's Political Crisis"Won's Lowest in 15 Years"

[Anchor]
As Acting President Han Deok-soo refused to appoint a constitutional judge and the opposition party proposed the impeachment as acting president, foreign media assessed that the political crisis in Korea has deepened.

He also diagnosed that uncertainty in Korean politics is putting pressure on the economy ahead of Trump's inauguration soon.

This is Washington correspondent Kwon Jun-ki.

[Reporter]
The Washington Post says Yoon Suk Yeol's mandate has been suspended, but political turmoil has continued for weeks in Asia's most powerful democracy.

Among them, the possibility of the impeachment of acting Han Deok-soo is expected to halt high-level diplomacy and intensify political paralysis that has shaken the financial market.

Regarding the refusal of the acting president to appoint a constitutional judge, a jurist's interpretation was published that the president has only formal appointment rights as the Constitution stipulates the "right to elect the National Assembly."

The New York Times pointed out that President Biden put democracy as his top priority in diplomacy, but there was not enough criticism against national leaders who undermined democracy, including President Yoon.

He then reported a think tank expert's analysis that the recent turmoil in U.S. allies shows that democracy is incomplete.

The Associated Press diagnosed that the impeachment could face legal ambiguity, saying there are differences over the quorum of the impeachment motion against acting Han Deok-soo.

Reuters also reported that the constitutional crisis triggered by martial law could intensify, saying scholars had mixed opinions on the quorum of votes.

Bloomberg said the Korean won fell to its lowest level in 15 years due to uncertainties in Korean politics, and that the won was the worst performer in Asia this year.

In particular, political uncertainty is putting more pressure on the economy, especially as Trump's upcoming protectionist trade policy is expected to hurt the South Korean economy.

This is YTN Kwon Jun-ki from Washington.