South Korea’s impeached PM reinstated as acting president
Han Duck-soo took over as acting leader from Yoon Suk-yeol, who was himself impeached over a brief declaration of martial law last year
Of the eight justices on the court, five said that the impeachment motion against Han was valid, but there were not enough grounds to impeach him as he did not violate the constitution or South Korean law concerning the martial law announcement or potential insurrection, according to a court statement.
Two justices ruled that the impeachment motion against Han, who was acting president at the time, was invalid from the start as two-thirds of lawmakers in parliament did not pass it. One justice voted to impeach Han.
The court’s statement said that Han’s alleged legal violations could not be determined to “constitute a betrayal of public trust”.
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South Korea’s impeached PM Han Duck-soo reinstated as acting president
Han welcomed the ruling and called for national unity to address economic challenges and global uncertainties. “In this era of great geopolitical transformation, I will do my best to ensure that the Republic of Korea continues to develop by joining forces with government cabinet members and the National Assembly,” the acting president said in a statement.