S. Korea's Acting President Reinstated by High Court

UPDATE Mar 24, 2025 1:00 AM CDT

South Korea's Constitutional Court overturned the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, reinstating the nation's No. 2 official as acting leader Monday while not yet ruling on the separate impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his shocking imposition of martial law late last year. 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 the imposing of martial law. But the ruling could still embolden Yoon's staunch supporters and ramp up their political offensive on the opposition, the AP reports. The court has yet to rule on Yoon's impeachment. If the court upholds Yoon's impeachment, South Korea must hold a presidential election. If it rules for him, Yoon will be restored to office and regain his presidential powers.

Dec 27, 2024 4:51 AM CST

South Korea's opposition-controlled National Assembly voted Friday to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo despite vehement protests by governing party lawmakers. The move further deepens the country's political crisis set off by President Yoon Suk Yeol's stunning imposition of martial law and ensuing impeachment, the AP reports.

• Han's impeachment means he will be stripped of the powers and duties of the president until the Constitutional Court decides whether to dismiss or reinstate him. The court is already reviewing whether to uphold Yoon's earlier impeachment. The impeachments of the country's top two officials worsen its political turmoil, deepen its economic uncertainty, and hurt its international image.

• The single-chamber National Assembly passed Han's impeachment motion with a 192-0 vote. Lawmakers with the governing People Power Party, who hold 108 seats in the chamber, boycotted the vote and surrounded the podium where assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik was seated. They shouted that the vote was "invalid" and demanded Woo's resignation. No violence or injuries were reported.
• The PPP lawmakers protested after Woo called for a vote on Han's impeachment motion after announcing its passage required a simple majority in the 300-member assembly, not a two-thirds majority as claimed by the PPP. Most South Korean officials can be impeached by the National Assembly with a simple majority vote, but a president's impeachment needs the support of two-thirds. There are no specific laws on the impeachment of an acting president.

story continues below

• In a statement, Han called his impeachment "regrettable" but said he respects the assembly's decision and will suspend his duties to "not add to additional confusion and uncertainty." He said he will wait for "a swift, wise decision" by the Constitutional Court.
• Han's powers were officially suspended after copies of his impeachment document were delivered to him and the Constitutional Court. The deputy prime minister and finance minister, Choi Sang-mok, is next in line to take over.
• Han, who was appointed prime minister by Yoon, became acting president after Yoon, a conservative, was impeached by the National Assembly about two weeks ago over his short-lived Dec. 3 imposition of martial law. Han quickly clashed with the main liberal opposition Democratic Party as he pushed back against opposition-led efforts to fill three vacant seats on the Constitutional Court, establish an independent investigation into Yoon's martial law decree and legislate pro-farmer bills.

(More South Korea stories.)