A South Korean constitutional court has reinstated impeached Prime Minister Han Duck-soo as the country’s acting president. The decision comes after a seven-to-one majority ruled that Han’s impeachment was unlawful. Han had taken over as acting leader last December, following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s suspension from office and parliamentary impeachment over his attempt to declare martial law.
However, Han’s tenure was short-lived, as lawmakers voted to impeach him shortly after he assumed power. Since then, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok has led the country. The opposition had hoped that Han’s actions would lead to Yoon’s impeachment, but instead, Han blocked the appointment of new judges for the constitutional court.
The court’s decision has been met with relief by Han, who stated that he will work to restore order in the government. Nevertheless, South Korea still awaits another crucial ruling from the same court – one that determines whether President Yoon’s impeachment should be permanent. A parliamentary impeachment had previously suspended Yoon on December 14, but his future remains uncertain unless the constitutional court approves the decision.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/articles/cqx0vv507jeo