Korean PM reinstated as acting president

South Korea’s Constitutional Court overturned the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, reinstating the nation’s No. 2 official as acting leader on Monday while not yet ruling on the separate impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his shocking imposition of martial law in December.

Many observers said the 7-1 ruling in Han’s case did not signal much about the upcoming verdict on Yoon, as Han wasn’t a key figure in imposing martial law.

But the ruling could still embolden Yoon’s staunch supporters and ramp up their political offensive on the opposition.

Speaking with reporters following his reinstatement, Han thanked the court for what he called “a wise decision” and promised to focus on tackling “urgent matters,” including a fast-changing global trade environment, in an apparent reference to the Trump administration’s aggressive tariffs policy.

He also called for national unity, saying: “There’s no left or right – what matters is the advancement of our nation.”

South Korea has been thrown into political turmoil since Yoon, a conservative, declared martial law on Dec. 3 and sent hundreds of troops to the liberal opposition-controlled National Assembly and other places in Seoul. Yoon’s decree lasted only six hours as enough lawmakers managed to enter an assembly hall where they quickly voted down the decree.

The assembly impeached Yoon on Dec. 14, alleging he violated the Constitution and other laws by suppressing assembly activities and trying to detain politicians. Yoon’s impeachment made Han acting president until he was impeached in late December.

The unprecedented, successive impeachments that suspended the country’s top two officials intensified domestic division and deepened worries about South Korea’s diplomatic and economic activities.

A major trigger for the opposition’s push to impeach Han was his refusal to fill three vacant seats at the Constitutional Court’s nine-member bench. That was a highly explosive issue because the court needed support from at least six justices to approve Yoon’s impeachment and filling its empty posts could make such a decision more likely.

After Han was suspended, his successor as acting president, Choi Sang-mok, appointed two new justices but left the ninth seat vacant.

Associated Press