South Korea’s Constitutional Court reinstated Prime Minister Han Duck-soo as the country’s acting president, on Monday. This is the latest twist in the country’s recent turbulent political landscape after he was impeached as the acting president nearly three months ago.
According to Reuters, Han took over as acting and became the acting President on December 14 after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached following his short-lived declaration of martial law in December. After this, Han returned to his acting president position immediately.
But Han was impeached two weeks later, on accusations of aiding Yoon in the martial law declaration, leading to the suspension of his powers. While Han denied the allegations, he admitted to being partially responsible for the crisis, admitting his inability to prevent Yoon from making the unexpected decision.
“I am grateful for the wise decision made by the Constitutional Court,” Han said after the ruling, thanking members of the cabinet for their hard work while he was suspended.
“We will work together to prepare and implement responses to global changes, and to ensure that South Korea continues to develop well in the era of great geopolitical transformation,” Han said in the televised comments, as per Reuters.
Meanwhile, the country has been divided by partisan rhetoric, while Han has stood out as an official who has sought to stay out of the political fray.
Who Is Han Duck-soo?
Han, a seasoned technocrat with a reputation as a reliable and competent leader, has managed to transcend party lines throughout his career, serving in senior positions under five different presidents, both conservative and liberal.
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He is known for his expertise in economics, trade, and foreign affairs, the 75-year-old was in his second term as head of the cabinet when he assumed the role of acting president on December 14.
This followed the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol by parliament over his involvement in leading a brief period of martial law.
As per Reuters, over the course of three decades, his roles have ranged from being the prime minister, finance minister and trade minister to the presidential secretary for policy coordination. Aside from this, he has been the ambassador to the United States and the OECD and heading up think tanks and organisations.
He has a doctorate in economics from Harvard, and his expertise in the economy, trade and diplomacy as well as a reputation for rationality had made him a regular go-to man in South Korean politics.
Han has been prime minister since Yoon’s term began in 2022, his second time in the role after a stint under former president Roh Moo-hyun in 2007-2008.
