Constitutional Court to rule on Prime Minister Han's impeachment

The Constitutional Court announced on the 20th that it will deliver a ruling on Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s impeachment trial on the 24th—87 days after the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion.

The court stated that the ruling for “Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s impeachment case” is scheduled for 10 a.m. on the 24th. On December 27 last year, the National Assembly voted to impeach Han on charges of abetting President Yoon Suk Yeol’s December 3 emergency martial law declaration and refusing to appoint a Constitutional Court justice. Han had been acting president since December 14, following the impeachment motion against President Yoon. The Constitutional Court held a single hearing on Han’s case on February 19 before closing arguments.

With the announcement of Han’s impeachment ruling date, the court’s decision on President Yoon’s impeachment is now expected to follow afterward. Initially, legal experts speculated that the rulings on Han and Yoon might be issued on the same day, given that Han’s impeachment charges include accusations of aiding and abetting treason, which overlap with Yoon’s case.

The Democratic Party strongly condemned the decision to schedule Han’s ruling before Yoon’s, expressing deep regret. Meanwhile, the ruling People Power Party welcomed the announcement, emphasizing the need to resolve political instability swiftly.

Separately, the Democratic Party has initiated impeachment proceedings against Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Choi Sang-mok over his refusal to appoint Moon Hyuk Ma as a Constitutional Court justice. This marks the 30th impeachment attempt under the Yoon administration.

Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae stated, “We issued a final ultimatum to Acting President Choi to appoint Ma as a Constitutional Court justice by the 19th, but he failed to comply. We will proceed with impeachment.” During an internal meeting the previous night, party lawmakers debated whether to move forward immediately or delay the decision due to concerns over backlash from consecutive impeachments. Ultimately, the party leadership, entrusted with the final decision, chose to proceed. However, the exact timeline for the motion’s submission remains undecided.

Observers point out that if the Constitutional Court dismisses or rejects Han’s impeachment, he would resume his role as acting president, thereby weakening the Democratic Party’s justification for Choi’s impeachment.


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