A South Korean court on Monday overturned the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and reinstated him as the acting president.
“Han’s impeachment was dismissed in a 5-1 vote by the court’s eight justices. Two justices voted to reject the impeachment motion entirely,” Yonhap news agency said.
He assumed the role of acting president after Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the national assembly for imposing martial law on December 3, which led to a major political crisis. However, Han was also impeached by the assembly in later that month due to conflicts with opposition lawmakers.
The constitutional court is yet to decide on Yoon’s case. If the court upholds his impeachment, South Korea will be required to hold a presidential election, if it rules in his favor, he will be reinstated with full presidential powers.
The country remains deeply divided as massive rival rallies either support or condemn Yoon, with protests erupting in Seoul and other major cities. While early surveys indicated widespread criticism of Yoon’s martial law declaration, his supporters have since gained momentum.