South Korea’s Constitutional Court has overturned the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, reinstating him as acting president after weeks of political turmoil.
The ruling comes as the country grapples with an ongoing crisis triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempt to impose martial law late last year.
Han assumed the role of acting president after lawmakers impeached Yoon in December for his short-lived declaration of martial law.
However, Han himself was later impeached over his alleged involvement in the crisis, as well as disputes over judicial appointments.
On Monday, the Constitutional Court ruled five-to-one against Han’s impeachment, declaring that his actions in office “cannot be seen as constituting a betrayal of the people’s trust indirectly granted through the President.”
Two of the seven judges further argued that the case should not have reached the court, as lawmakers lacked the required supermajority for impeachment.
The ruling, which is final and cannot be appealed, takes immediate effect.
Speaking after his reinstatement, Han expressed gratitude to the court, stating, “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.”
The ruling comes ahead of a much-anticipated court decision on Yoon’s own impeachment, which has been under deliberation for months..
Despite expectations for a verdict by mid-March, the Constitutional Court has yet to announce a ruling, making it the longest impeachment trial in South Korean history.
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung acknowledged the court’s verdict on Han but urged a quicker resolution to Yoon’s case.
“The entire nation is losing sleep over Yoon Suk Yeol’s illegal military coup,” he said.
“Every day, every hour, every minute, every second, the international trust in the Republic of Korea is being broken, the economic damage is mounting.”
If the court upholds Yoon’s impeachment, South Korea will be required to hold new presidential elections within 60 days.
However, legal experts say Monday’s ruling does not directly impact Yoon’s case, as the judges focused on Han’s individual role rather than the broader legality of martial law.
Yoon, who was suspended in December and arrested in January on insurrection charges, was released in early March on procedural grounds.
His release has emboldened his supporters, leading to mass protests both for and against him in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, ruling party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong welcomed Han’s reinstatement, accusing the opposition of “paralysing state affairs for 87 days with a hasty impeachment bid.”
He called on them to “apologise to the people” for what he described as a politically motivated action.
