South Korea's opposition party announced on Tuesday that it would delay its decision on whether to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo until later this week.

The opposition Democratic Party had previously stated its intention to introduce an impeachment motion against Han on Tuesday in response to his refusal to sign into law two special bills aimed at investigating his impeached predecessor.

"We have decided to exercise patience, taking into account the sentiments of the people, and will wait until the 26th (Thursday) to determine whether our demands are met," said Park Chan-dae, the party's floor leader.

Initially, the opposition had set Christmas Eve as the deadline for Han to enact the two bills, which are designed to probe the brief imposition of martial law by former President Yoon Suk Yeol, as well as allegations of corruption involving his wife, Kim Keon Hee.

Yoon was stripped of his duties on December 14 after declaring martial law 11 days earlier, which sparked the nation's worst political crisis in decades. He is now awaiting a decision from the Constitutional Court, which needs a majority of six out of nine justices to approve the impeachment motion. Currently, three seats remain vacant, but they can be filled.

Han, who stepped in as acting president following Yoon's suspension, rejected the opposition's demand for the two bills during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. He insisted that bipartisan agreements were necessary for the bills' passage.

Park criticized Han's stance, saying it left the opposition with no choice but to interpret it as an attempt to prolong the crisis. "His refusal to proceed left us no other option but to interpret it as his intention to continue the insurrection by delaying proceedings," Park said at a press briefing.

Yoon is currently under investigation by a joint task force involving police, the defense ministry, and anti-corruption officials.

'Coercive Politics'

On Tuesday, Democratic Party spokesperson Yoon Jong-kun announced that the party had "unanimously adopted" the motion to impeach Han. The reasons for impeachment include Han's refusal to sign the two bills, as well as allegations that he "actively participated in and supported the insurrection" and attempted to exert presidential power while Yoon's authority was still officially intact after the insurrection.

The opposition argues that only a simple majority in the 300-member parliament is needed to impeach Han, as he is serving as a cabinet member. However, the ruling People Power Party contends that a two-thirds majority is required because Han is currently acting president.

Kweon Seong-dong, leader of the ruling party, accused the Democratic Party of engaging in "coercive politics." He said the opposition was "constantly interfering with the legitimate exercise of the acting president's authority." Kweon compared the opposition's actions to those of gangsters "who threaten retaliation if money is not deposited."