Domestic politics in South Korea are turbulent, an expected state of affairs in the aftermath of the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. The Constitutional Court has not yet ruled on the legitimacy of the impeachment motion, and while it has six months to reach a decision, a verdict is expected by March 13, when a justice on the court has to step down. That ruling will impact whether South Korea moves up the date of presidential election scheduled for December.
Apparently that uncertainty is not enough, for opposition politicians in South Korea are now calling for the impeachment of Park's replacement, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn. His offense is refusing to extend the special prosecutor's investigation into the influence-peddling scandal that ensnared Park. Opposition anger is palpable, but driving the acting president from office would only further destabilize South Korean politics.
The investigation into wrongdoing by Park has been driven by reports that she was unduly influenced by a friend and adviser, Choi Soon-sil, and that the two women extorted millions of dollars from leading Korean corporations by forcing them to provide financial support for two foundations controlled by Choi. The president's involvement generated calls for a special prosecutor to ensure that any investigation would not be tainted by conflicts of interest. Special prosecutors were appointed in December and their investigation widened over time to include, among other things, charges of creating a blacklist of cultural figures that were considered hostile to the Park government as well as allegations of misdeeds by corporate leaders.