SEOUL, South Korea – The South Korean Constitutional Court on Monday ruled that Prime Minister Han Dak So would defeat each of his bounces and restore his strength, marking the latest twist in the country’s political turmoil after the deputy bounces each of them more than two months ago.
Han took over the proxy leader of President Yun Sook Yeol, who had been pursuing his own short-lived martial law declaration last year.
Prime Minister Han was fired on December 27th and stopped after less than two weeks in the post, clashing with an opposition-led parliament, refusing to appoint three more justices to the Constitutional Court.
The court judge ruled 7-1 to defeat the bluff each.
Han, 75, has been in leadership positions under five presidents for over 30 years, both conservative and liberal.
In a country that was sharply divided by partisan rhetoric, Han was seen as a rare example of staff whose various careers transcend party boundaries.
Still, the opposition-led parliament accused him of not doing enough to block the decision to declare martial law, a charge he denied.
Finance Minister Choi Sang Mok took on the position of the proxy president while the Yoon and Han cases were considered by the Constitutional Court.
The Congress refused to appoint Han each on alleged roles in martial law, appoint more justice to the Constitutional Court, and to appoint a special counsel bill targeting Yoon and First Lady Kim Kaeong Hee.
Han attended the only hearing in the case on February 19, where he denied his role in the martial law episode and called on the court to dismiss the bluff each.
President Yoon’s unexpected imposition of martial law on December 3rd and subsequent political upheavals sent shockwaves through Asia’s fourth-largest economy, eliciting concerns from allies such as the United States, which saw Yoon as an important partner in efforts to counter China and North Korea.
The final martial law lasted only about six hours after lawmakers voted to reject the declaration.
