Seoul: The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) expressed regret Monday over the Constitutional Court's decision to dismiss the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and reinstate him as acting president. The DP also urged Han to appoint opposition-recommended Constitutional Court Justice candidate Ma Eun-hyuk as the ninth justice at the court as it prepares to deliver a ruling on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
According to Yonhap News Agency, DP floor leader Park Chan-dae expressed his disappointment during a supreme council meeting held at a tent set up in Gwanghwamun Square for outdoor rallies. "It is regrettable that the Constitutional Court dismissed the impeachment of Prime Minister Han," Park stated, emphasizing the need for urgency in the court's verdict on President Yoon's impeachment, which he urged to be issued as early as Tuesday.
The ruling came three months after the National Assembly impeached the prime minister and then acting president over his alleged role in President Yoon's December 3 declaration of martial law, among other issues. Park highlighted that the court's decision underscored the unconstitutionality of not appointing the three Constitutional Court justices recommended by the National Assembly.
In December, after Han's impeachment, Choi Sang-mok served as acting president and appointed two justices to the court. However, he refrained from appointing Ma Eun-hyuk, citing the necessity for a bipartisan consensus. The suspended President Yoon's fate now rests with the nine-member court, which currently operates with an eight-member bench. For Yoon's impeachment to be upheld, consent by at least six justices is required.