Korean politics continue to change

Among the judges, five said the motion to impeach Prime Minister Han was valid but did not constitute impeachment because he did not violate the Constitution or South Korean laws regarding the declaration of martial law or the possibility of rebellion. Meanwhile, two other judges said the motion to impeach Han was invalid from the start. The remaining judge wanted to impeach Han. With this decision, Han was reinstated as prime minister and also as acting president. This is seen as a test of the court's view on the charges against President Yoon Suk Yeol in his impeachment trial.

South Korean court rejects prime minister's impeachment, reinstates acting president

The ruling came three months after the South Korean National Assembly impeached Prime Minister and Acting President Han Duck-soo for his role in President Yoon's declaration of martial law in December 2024. Prime Minister Han, who held the position of acting president for less than two weeks, was impeached and suspended from office on December 27, 2024.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo holds a press conference in Seoul on March 24, 2025

According to Yonhap, immediately after being reinstated, Acting President Han Duck-soo declared that he would make every effort to resolve urgent issues, while praising the Constitutional Court's ruling that dismissed his impeachment. Mr. Han also called for national unity as the country is polarized by the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. In addition, the South Korean Presidential Office also issued a statement welcoming the Constitutional Court's reinstatement of Acting President Han Duck-soo, while accusing the National Assembly of abusing its power to impeach government officials. Meanwhile, Mr. Park Chan-dae, leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DP), expressed regret over the Constitutional Court's decision to impeach Acting President Han. Mr. Park also urged Acting President Han to quickly appoint opposition candidate Ma Eun-hyuk as the ninth judge of the Constitutional Court as the judiciary is about to issue a verdict on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

In another development, the South Korean court said on March 24 that the criminal trial of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges related to martial law will officially begin on April 14. The court said Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok and Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, two witnesses requested by the prosecutor, will be called to testify at the first trial. According to the prosecutor's indictment, both Mr. Choi and Mr. Cho expressed their concerns to President Yoon before the South Korean leader declared martial law on December 3, 2024.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chinh-truong-han-quoc-them-bien-dong-185250324212947156.htm