South Korean Constitutional Court Rejects Impeachment of Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo
The court's decision reinstates Han, suspended last year after a motion from the opposition, while deliberations on the ousting of former President Yoon Suk-yeol continue.
The Constitutional Court of South Korea has ruled on Monday to reject the impeachment of Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who was suspended from office last year following a motion initiated by the opposition.
The decision, which reinstates Han as acting president, was made with a vote of five in favor and one against.
Han had been in office for less than two weeks when he was impeached on December 27, 2024, after refusing to appoint three additional judges to the Constitutional Court, amidst a parliament controlled by opposition forces.
Han Duck-soo's predecessor, Yoon Suk-yeol, was suspended after a second impeachment motion was passed against him on December 3, 2024, related to the imposition of martial law.
Shortly thereafter, the law was overturned by lawmakers who convened an emergency session to vote on a decree that nullified the decision.
The martial law in question would have allowed the military to assume extraordinary powers typically held by the government and would have included the suspension of certain civil liberties.
This measure was perceived as an unprecedented shift towards authoritarianism in South Korea, a divergence from the nation’s democratic practices over the past forty years.
After being immediately reinstated following the ruling, Han expressed his commitment to address urgent matters.
"As acting president, I will exert every effort to ensure stable governance in accordance with the Constitution and law," he stated during a televised national address.
He also pledged to safeguard national interests and referenced the trade war initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The timing of the Constitutional Court's ruling comes ahead of another verdict concerning the impeachment of suspended President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was released from detention this March after nearly two months.
Yoon is facing criminal charges of insurrection, the only offense from which a South Korean president is not immune, and could face a life sentence if convicted.
In light of these developments, the South Korean police have activated a heightened state of emergency and will deploy 100% of law enforcement personnel on the day of the ruling to prevent potential unrest, mass protests, and attacks against key government facilities.
The decision, which reinstates Han as acting president, was made with a vote of five in favor and one against.
Han had been in office for less than two weeks when he was impeached on December 27, 2024, after refusing to appoint three additional judges to the Constitutional Court, amidst a parliament controlled by opposition forces.
Han Duck-soo's predecessor, Yoon Suk-yeol, was suspended after a second impeachment motion was passed against him on December 3, 2024, related to the imposition of martial law.
Shortly thereafter, the law was overturned by lawmakers who convened an emergency session to vote on a decree that nullified the decision.
The martial law in question would have allowed the military to assume extraordinary powers typically held by the government and would have included the suspension of certain civil liberties.
This measure was perceived as an unprecedented shift towards authoritarianism in South Korea, a divergence from the nation’s democratic practices over the past forty years.
After being immediately reinstated following the ruling, Han expressed his commitment to address urgent matters.
"As acting president, I will exert every effort to ensure stable governance in accordance with the Constitution and law," he stated during a televised national address.
He also pledged to safeguard national interests and referenced the trade war initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The timing of the Constitutional Court's ruling comes ahead of another verdict concerning the impeachment of suspended President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was released from detention this March after nearly two months.
Yoon is facing criminal charges of insurrection, the only offense from which a South Korean president is not immune, and could face a life sentence if convicted.
In light of these developments, the South Korean police have activated a heightened state of emergency and will deploy 100% of law enforcement personnel on the day of the ruling to prevent potential unrest, mass protests, and attacks against key government facilities.
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