South Korea’s Court Reinstates PM Han, But President Yoon’s Fate Remains Uncertain—Here’s All You Need To Know About The Crisis

In a dramatic turn of events, South Korea’s Constitutional Court has overturned the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, restoring him to power as the nation’s acting leader, reported The New Indian Express.

However, uncertainty still looms as the court has yet to decide on the separate impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who remains under arrest on rebellion charges.

The crisis began on 3 December 2024, when President Yoon Suk Yeol stunned the country by declaring martial law. In a nationally televised address, he justified the move, claiming it was essential to protect the "free Republic of Korea" from forces pushing the nation toward disorder. 

He vowed to eliminate anti-state elements and urged citizens to accept the resulting restrictions on civil liberties.

Though he lifted the martial law just hours later, the damage had already been done. The liberal opposition-controlled National Assembly swiftly moved to impeach him, accusing him of abusing his power. 

But the political turmoil didn’t stop there—Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who took over as acting president after Yoon’s impeachment, was also removed by the assembly later that month.

While Han has now been reinstated, Yoon’s fate remains far more uncertain.

He has been arrested and charged with rebellion, a grave offense under South Korean law that carries the death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted.

Ever since the opposition’s sweeping victory in early 2024’s National Assembly elections, he has struggled to govern effectively, vetoing bills passed by the legislature while failing to push forward his own policies. 

Allegations of corruption, influence peddling, and stock manipulation have only intensified public anger, with the opposition demanding a special probe into the accusations.

The battle between Yoon’s conservative People Power Party and the liberal Democratic Party has also escalated over budget disputes and efforts to impeach top prosecutors overseeing sensitive criminal cases. 

Analysts suggest that Yoon’s martial law declaration was a desperate attempt to reclaim authority, but instead, it plunged the nation into further chaos, ultimately leading to his impeachment and arrest.

A Bitter Memory

South Korea’s past with military rule remains a painful memory, and Yoon’s actions have rekindled old fears. Martial law has been declared 17 times in the country’s history, most recently in 1980, during an era of authoritarian rule.

The nation only achieved full democracy in the late 1980s, and the idea of military intervention in civilian affairs is still deeply controversial.

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