The South Korean Court on Monday reinstated Prime Minister, Han Duck-Soo as Acting President, a role he took after President, Yoon Suk Yeol was suspended for declaring martial law.
The court ruling is the latest development in South Korea’s political crisis.
It would be recalled that Yeol started a short-lived attempt to subvert civilian rule in December 2024
Korean lawmakers defied armed soldiers at parliament to vote down Yeol’s December 3 martial law declaration and impeached him soon after, with Han stepping in as acting president.
However, Han was himself impeached by lawmakers just weeks later over his purported involvement in the martial law debacle, plus a dispute over judicial appointments.
READ ALSO:
- South Korean presidential guards prevent arrest of impeached president after tense stand-off
- South Korean lawmakers impeach Acting President
“The Constitutional Court has rendered a decision to reject the impeachment trial request against Prime Minister Han Duck-soo,” the court said Monday in a statement.
The court ruled five-to-one against Han’s impeachment, with two judges arguing the case should not have made it to court as lawmakers did not have a super majority to impeach him in the first place.
Han, who immediately resumed the acting presidency on Monday, thanked the Constitutional Court for its “wise decision”.
“I believe that all citizens are clearly speaking out against the highly polarised political sphere. I think there is no place for division now. Our country’s priority is to move forward,” he added.
