South Korea’s Constitutional Court has overturned the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, reinstating him as acting president. This decision comes while the court is still deliberating on President Yoon’s impeachment, which stems from his controversial declaration of martial law in December.

According to analysts, the 7-1 ruling on Han’s case might not be indicative of the outcome for Yoon, as Han was not central to the imposition of martial law. However, the ruling could embolden Yoon’s supporters and intensify their political attacks on the opposition.

Following his reinstatement, Han expressed gratitude to the court for its “wise decision.” He pledged to prioritize addressing “urgent matters,” including the evolving global trade landscape, a likely reference to the Trump administration’s tariff policies. He also emphasized the need for national unity, stating that national progress transcends political divides.

South Korea has been in a state of political turmoil since Yoon, a conservative, declared martial law on December 3 and deployed troops to the National Assembly, controlled by the liberal opposition, and other locations in Seoul. Yoon’s decree was short-lived, lasting only six hours, as lawmakers managed to convene and vote it down.

The National Assembly impeached Yoon on December 14, accusing him of violating the Constitution by suppressing assembly activities and attempting to detain politicians. Yoon’s impeachment led to Han becoming acting president until his own impeachment in late December.

These unprecedented, successive impeachments of the country’s top two officials have exacerbated domestic divisions and heightened concerns about .

A key factor in the opposition’s move to impeach Han was his refusal to fill three vacancies on the nine-member Constitutional Court. This was a contentious issue because at least six justices are needed to approve Yoon’s impeachment, and filling the vacancies could increase the likelihood of such a decision.

After Han’s suspension, his successor as acting president, Choi Sang-mok, appointed two new justices but left one seat vacant.

Han was also accused in the impeachment motion of supporting Yoon’s martial law declaration and obstructing independent investigations into Yoon’s alleged rebellion related to the martial law decree.

On Monday, seven of the Constitutional Court’s eight justices voted to overturn or dismiss Han’s impeachment. They ruled that his alleged actions were either not illegal or not serious enough to warrant his removal from office, or that his impeachment motion didn’t meet the required quorum in the assembly. One justice supported Han’s impeachment.

The main liberal opposition Democratic Party expressed disappointment with the court’s decision to reinstate Han and urged it to promptly dismiss Yoon. Yoon’s office welcomed Monday’s ruling, stating that it demonstrates the opposition’s repeated use of impeachment motions as a “reckless, malicious political offensive.”

Earlier predictions suggested the Constitutional Court would rule on Yoon’s case in mid-March, but it has yet to do so, leading to various speculations.

According to Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security, the verdict could raise the hope of Yoon’s supporters for a similar result and the hope of Yoon’s opponents for his removal. However, she cautioned against predicting the court’s decision on Yoon, citing differences in the specific details and allegations of the two cases.

Kim also said that Han’s reinstatement, who has been a long time bureaucrat, will bring more stability to South Korea compared to when his powers as acting president were suspended.

Large rival rallies supporting or opposing Yoon have created division in the streets of Seoul and other . Initial surveys indicated that most South Koreans disapproved of Yoon’s martial law enactment, but support for Yoon has since grown.

Yoon maintains that his introduction of martial law was a necessary attempt to address the “wickedness” of the Democratic Party, which he says obstructed his agenda and filed numerous impeachment motions against senior officials. Critics argue that Yoon likely sought to use military rule to prevent special investigations into scandals involving him and his wife.

Senior military and police officers sent to the assembly have testified that Yoon ordered them to forcibly remove lawmakers to prevent a vote against his decree. Yoon claims that the deployment of troops was intended to maintain order.

If the court upholds Yoon’s impeachment, South Korea will hold a presidential election to choose his successor. If it rules in his favor, Yoon will regain his presidential powers.

Yoon has also been charged with directing rebellion, a crime that carries a potential death penalty or life sentence if he is convicted.

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