Han Duck-soo, South Korea’s prime minister and acting president, speaks during a news conference after lawmakers passed a motion to impeach South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 14, 2024.
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South Korea’s Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s impeachment was struck down by the country’s Constitutional Court on Monday, local media reported.
The ruling is expected to pave the way for Han to become acting president, taking the post from finance minister and current acting president Choi Sang-mok.
The prime minister was impeached by the opposition Democratic Party in December, after he reportedly refused to appoint three justices to the Constitutional Court that was looking into the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol after he briefly imposed martial law.
Finance Minister Choi, who took over as acting president from Han, later appointed two of the three justices.
South Korean media outlet Yonhap reported that Han’s impeachment was dismissed in a 5-1 vote by the court’s eight justices, while two justices rejected the motion entirely.
—This is breaking news, please check back for updates.