South Korea’s prime minister Han Duck-soo has been restored to office as acting president after the country’s constitutional court overturned his impeachment, raising tensions ahead of a hotly anticipated ruling on President Yoon Suk Yeol over his attempt to impose martial law last year.
Han took over as acting president after the opposition-controlled parliament voted to impeach Yoon in December. Han was then impeached and suspended himself after he refused to fill three vacancies on the constitutional court.
Monday’s verdict returns Han to office with immediate effect, replacing finance minister Choi Sang-mok as acting president. Yoon, who is still nominally head of state, remains suspended from office while the constitutional court deliberates his impeachment.