impeached South Korean Prime Minister Reinstated as acting president

South Korea’s Constitutional Court Clears Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Resuming His Role as Acting President Amid Political Turmoil

The Constitutional Court of South Korea has dismissed the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, allowing him to continue in his role as acting president. This decision comes in the wake of a tumultuous political crisis ignited by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived attempt to impose martial law last December.

Following Yoon’s controversial declaration, which was met with defiance from lawmakers confronting armed soldiers in parliament, he was impeached. Han Duck-soo subsequently assumed the position of acting president. However, in a surprising turn, Han himself faced impeachment by lawmakers weeks later due to allegations related to the martial law incident and judicial appointment disagreements.

“The Constitutional Court has made a determination to reject the impeachment trial petition against Prime Minister Han Duck-soo,” the court stated on Monday. The decision, which saw a majority vote of five to one against Han’s impeachment, hinged on arguments that lawmakers lacked the necessary supermajority for such an action. The court concluded that Han’s conduct in office “does not constitute a betrayal of the people’s trust indirectly granted through the President.”

With the ruling effective immediately and not open to appeal, Han thanked the Constitutional Court for their “wise decision” and emphasized the need for national unity in the face of a deeply divided political landscape. He urged the country to focus on progressing together.

This ruling arrives at a critical time as the Constitutional Court is expected to rule in the impeachment case of suspended President Yoon, although the timeline remains unclear. Experts anticipate a decision by mid-March, making Yoon’s case the longest in the court’s history regarding deliberation.

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung acknowledged the court’s ruling on Han but called on the Constitutional Court to expedite their decision on Yoon’s impeachment. He expressed concern over Yoon’s alleged military coup attempt, arguing that the ongoing delay in the court’s verdict was damaging national and international trust in South Korea.

“If Yoon’s impeachment is upheld, an election must take place within 60 days of the verdict,” underscored Lee. However, he clarified that the recent ruling does not directly impact Yoon’s impeachment proceedings, emphasizing that judges focused primarily on Han’s involvement rather than the legality of the martial law itself.

Yoon faced suspension from his duties in December and was arrested in January as part of a separate criminal investigation relating to insurrection charges, which are not protected by presidential immunity. Remarkably, Yoon is the first sitting president in South Korea to be tried in a criminal case. He was released from custody in early March, a development that seems to have galvanized his support base.

In response to Han’s reinstatement, lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong of Yoon’s ruling People Power Party welcomed the court’s decision and demanded an apology from the opposition for what he termed a politically motivated impeachment that disrupted state affairs for 87 days.

Amid the ongoing political strife, public sentiment appears deeply polarized, exemplified by the recent mass protests both supporting and opposing Yoon, intensifying as the court verdict approaches.