South Korea’s Constitutional Court has reinstated Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, overturning his impeachment and restoring his powers. This decision comes amid ongoing political turmoil following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law last year.
The court’s ruling coincides with its deliberations on whether to impeach President Yoon, who imposed martial law on December 3, creating a severe crisis for the US ally and economic powerhouse. Yoon’s martial law briefly prohibited political activities and deployed troops to central areas of governance, but was rescinded six hours later after lawmakers forced entry into parliament and unanimously voted to reject it.
Following Yoon’s suspension by lawmakers on December 14, Han served as acting president for 13 days. During this time, he refrained from appointing a candidate for one of three vacant positions in the Constitutional Court, prompting the main opposition Democratic Party to initiate impeachment proceedings against him. The party accused Han of breaching his constitutional duties and undermining the rule of law by not appointing justices.
In their motion, they also criticized him for not advancing a special investigation law regarding First Lady Kim Keon-hee and attempting to manage state affairs alongside the ruling party during Yoon’s suspension. However, only one of the eight judges voted to uphold the impeachment motion. The court determined there was insufficient evidence to suggest Han had acted against the constitution by failing to appoint judges.
With the ruling, Han resumes his role as acting president as Yoon’s legal case progresses. Han expressed gratitude for the court’s “wise” decision after the ruling.
Meanwhile, the court still needs to decide on the impeachment of Yoon for his martial law declaration, which he announced during an unannounced television address, accusing the opposition party of sympathizing with North Korea and engaging in “anti-state activities.” He cited the Democratic Party’s majority in parliament, which aimed to impeach senior prosecutors and rejected a government budget proposal.
However, Yoon was forced to retract his declaration just six hours later, as lawmakers entered parliament against military personnel to nullify the decree.
During his trial at the Constitutional Court last month, Han denied any collusion with Yoon regarding the martial law, claiming he attempted to “dissuade” Yoon during a Cabinet meeting that occurred just before the martial law was announced.
Credit: CNN
