South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Monday dismissed the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duk-soo, reinstating him as acting president ,a role he was given after the president was suspended for declaring martial law.
“Han’s impeachment was rejected by the court’s eight justices in a 5-1 vote. Two justices voted to reject the impeachment motion in its entirety,” Yonhap reported.
The court ruling is the latest development in South Korea’s complex and widespread political crisis, which began with the December 3 attempt to overthrow ousted President Yoon Suk-yeol.
The opposition-controlled parliament impeached Yoon’s replacement, Han, weeks after he took over the role.
Lawmakers cited Han’s refusal to appoint more judges to the Constitutional Court — which will also decide Yoon’s impeachment — and his alleged role in the martial law crisis as reasons for the decision.
The court had only six judges at the time, meaning that if even one judge refused to support the impeachment, Yoon would have been reinstated. The opposition demanded the appointment of three more, bringing the court to a full bench.
According to local broadcaster YTN, the court’s decision on Monday to dismiss Han’s impeachment “clarified that the failure to certify the nominees was illegal, but not sufficient to dismiss him.”
The court found no evidence of “(Han’s) role” in the meetings related to planning the martial law declaration, YTN said.
Han’s successor as acting president, Choi Sang-mok, appointed two additional judges to the Constitutional Court.
Han, who resumed his position as acting president immediately after the ruling, thanked the Constitutional Court for its “wise decision.”
“I believe that all citizens are clearly speaking out against the highly polarized political landscape. I think there is no room for division now. The priority for our country is to move forward,” he added.
The court’s ruling on the impeachment of suspended President Yoon was closely watched, and the date has not yet been announced.
At least six of the eight justices must vote to remove Yoon. Otherwise, he will be reinstated.
Although experts predict a ruling in the case by mid-March, the Constitutional Court has yet to rule, making Yoon’s case the longest in its history.
Yoon was suspended by parliament in December and arrested in a dawn raid in January in connection with a separate criminal investigation into sedition charges not covered by presidential immunity.
He is the first South Korean president to stand trial in a criminal case.
He was released from detention in early March on procedural grounds — a move that appeared to encourage his supporters.
Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans took to the streets over the weekend as demonstrations for and against Yoon intensified ahead of the court ruling.
