The Supreme Court of South Korea’s Constitutional Court ruled on Monday ( Mar 24 ) to overthrow the impeachment of interim president Han Duck-soo and restore his authority, which is the most recent development in the country’s political unrest following his impeachment as acting president more than two months ago.
Yoon Suk Yeol, who was himself impeached over his brief-lived declaration of martial law last season, took over as acting president from Han.
After arguing with the opposition-led legislature by refusing to appoint three more judges to the Constitutional Court, Prime Minister Han was impeached and suspended on December 27. He had served in office for less than two weeks, but he had been removed from office.
The court’s judges ruled 7 to 1 to overturn the prosecution.
Han, 75, had served under five leaders, both liberal and conservative, in positions of leadership for more than three decades.
Han had been viewed as a rare example of an established whose different job transcended party ranges in a nation strongly divided by political speech.
He was accused of no assisting Yoon’s decision to declare martial law by the opposition-led legislature, which he refuted.