South Korea overturns prime minister's impeachment, restores acting president

South Korea's Constitutional Court has overturned the parliament's impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, restoring him as acting president.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has become acting president after President Yoon Suk-yeol was impeached by the opposition-dominated parliament for declaring martial law on December 3, 2024, sparking a major political crisis.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks at an event in Seoul in May 2024.

However, Mr. Han was also impeached by parliament in late December 2024 following political tensions with opposition lawmakers.

The opposition has accused him of not doing enough to overturn Yoon's decision to declare martial law, a charge Han has denied. The prime minister has also been criticized for refusing to appoint more judges to the Constitutional Court and for not supporting a bill to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, Reuters reported.

The Constitutional Court of South Korea announced on March 24 that it had decided to overturn Han's impeachment. According to Yonhap news agency, the impeachment verdict against Han was dismissed by a vote of 5-1. In addition, two judges voted against the entire impeachment process, arguing that it did not have the approval of two-thirds of the National Assembly. The Constitutional Court of South Korea has nine judges but is currently vacant.

During the impeachment trial of Mr. Han Duck-soo, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok was the one who temporarily took over the country's leadership.

The court has yet to rule on the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol. If the court rules against him, South Korea will have to hold a national election to choose a new president. If the court rules in his favor, Yoon will be reinstated.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/han-quoc-lat-nguoc-phan-quyet-luan-toi-thu-tuong-phuc-chuc-quyen-tong-thong-185250324084237209.htm