South Korea reinstates impeached acting president who had taken over from impeached president

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Mar 24, 2025 7:23 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

South Korea's Constitutional Court reinstated Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to the station of acting president connected Monday, striking down his impeachment arsenic helium pledged to absorption connected steering Asia's fourth-biggest system done a U.S. commercialized war.

The ruling, which comes amid months of governmental turmoil successful the country, returns Han to powerfulness immediately. He took implicit arsenic acting person from President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was himself impeached implicit his little imposition of martial instrumentality successful December.

"I judge the radical are making it precise clear, successful 1 voice, that the utmost confrontation successful authorities indispensable stop," said Han, who thanked the tribunal for its "wise decision" and the furniture for their hard enactment portion helium was suspended.

"As acting president, I volition bash my champion to support unchangeable authorities administration, and give each contented and capabilities to safeguard nationalist interests successful the commercialized war," Han said successful televised comments.

South Korea, 1 of the world's apical exporters, has been bracing for the imaginable interaction of a scope of threatened tariffs nether U.S. President Donald Trump.

South Korea has already seen U.S. tariffs connected alloy and aluminum and has been seeking an exemption from reciprocal U.S tariffs owed to travel successful adjacent month. Earlier this month, Trump singled retired South Korea for applying precocious tariffs connected U.S. exports.

Yoon's martial instrumentality declaration plunged the cardinal U.S. subject state into its top governmental situation successful decades, and sparked a enactment vacuum amid spiralling impeachments, resignations, and transgression indictments for a scope of apical officials.

Han had initially lasted little than 2 weeks successful the station and was impeached and suspended Dec. 27 aft clashing with the opposition-led parliament by refusing to name 3 much justices to the Constitutional Court.

The justices connected the tribunal ruled connected Monday 7 to 1 to onslaught down the impeachment.

Five of the 8 justices said the impeachment question was valid, but determination were not capable grounds to impeach Han arsenic helium did not interruption the constitution oregon the law, according to a tribunal statement.

Two justices ruled that the impeachment question against Han, who was acting president astatine the time, was invalid from the commencement arsenic two-thirds of lawmakers successful parliament did not walk it.

One justness voted to impeach Han.

Han, 75, had served successful enactment positions for much than 3 decades nether 5 presidents, some blimpish and liberal.

In a state sharply divided by partisan rhetoric, Han had been seen arsenic a uncommon illustration of an authoritative whose varied vocation transcended enactment lines.

Still, the opposition-led parliament accused him of not doing capable to thwart Yoon's determination to state martial law, an accusation helium denied.

WATCH | South Korea impeaches President Yoon implicit martial instrumentality declaration: 

Lee Jae-myung, caput of the absorption Democratic Party, said Han's ruling indispensable beryllium accepted but urged the Constitutional Court to swiftly marque a determination connected President Yoon's impeachment.

The tribunal is expected to regularisation wrong days, though its deliberations person dragged retired longer than expected. Yoon besides faces a abstracted transgression proceedings connected charges of starring an insurrection by declaring martial law.

If Yoon is removed, a caller statesmanlike predetermination volition beryllium held wrong 60 days.

"The court's continued hold successful ruling is fuelling interest and struggle ... We tin present expect the concern going beyond a intelligence civilian warfare to go an existent carnal civilian war," said Lee, who is starring successful sentiment polls to triumph an predetermination if Yoon is removed.

South Korea has seen huge, mostly peaceful, rallies some successful enactment of Yoon and calling for his removal successful caller months.

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok had assumed the presumption of acting president portion the cases of Yoon and Han were considered by the Constitutional Court.

The unexpected imposition of martial instrumentality connected Dec. 3, 2024 and the ensuing governmental upheaval sent shockwaves done South Korea, and raised interest among allies specified arsenic the United States nether now-former president Joe Biden, who had seen Yoon arsenic a cardinal spouse successful efforts to antagonistic China and North Korea.

The martial instrumentality successful the extremity lone lasted astir six hours aft lawmakers defied a information cordon astir parliament and voted to cull the declaration.