The impeachment ruling schedule for Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has plunged into uncertainty as it coincides with the ruling on President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment and the appointment of Constitutional Court Justice nominee Ma Eun-hyuk. Although a ruling date has not yet been set, movements are detected within the Prime Minister's Office, which assists Prime Minister Han, as it cautiously prepares for a return while raising expectations for the impeachment 'dismissal'.
According to government and legal sources on the 10th, a ruling date for the Constitutional Court's impeachment trial against Prime Minister Han has not yet been established. An official from law firm Apex, representing Prime Minister Han, noted, "We have not yet been notified about the ruling date." This case, received on December 27 of last year, concluded its arguments just once on the 19th of last month.
In the legal community, various predictions are being made about the ruling date for Prime Minister Han, ranging from 'this week (March 10-14)' to 'after mid-month'. Some speculate that following the decision made on the 7th to cancel President Yoon Suk-yeol's arrest, the ruling of President Yoon's impeachment is expected to occur soon, which raises the possibility that Prime Minister Han's ruling will also be imminent.
On the other hand, there are suspicions that the Constitutional Court may indefinitely postpone Prime Minister Han's ruling by using the nominee Ma Eun-hyuk as a bargaining chip. Previously, Acting Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who is also the Minister of Strategy and Finance, decided to postpone the appointment of nominee Ma after discussions with cabinet members.
Amid uncertainty regarding the ruling, the atmosphere within the Prime Minister's Office is cautiously preparing for Prime Minister Han's return. It is reported that the Prime Minister's Office has recently conducted a review of current issues in preparation for the dismissal of Prime Minister Han's impeachment. A government official stated, "It seems that they will first hold a cabinet meeting or a National Security Council (NSC) meeting," adding that there is a possibility of sequentially issuing a public message emphasizing recovery of livelihoods.
Currently, the meeting of cabinet ministers regarding national policy issues, which is being held under Acting Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, will be immediately separated upon the return of the Prime Minister, and a separate meeting focusing on national policy will be held, presided over by Prime Minister Han. It is expected that the 'priority agenda item' will likely be related to U.S. trade responses.
It is also reported that there are discussions about meeting with Joseph Yun, the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, immediately after his return. Prime Minister Han is recognized not only as the Prime Minister but also as a representative member of the 'Jimi faction' (知美派). He served as the U.S. Ambassador for about three years from March 2009 to February 2012 during the Lee Myung-bak administration. There are expectations that he is well-suited to quickly fill the diplomatic and trade gap between Korea and the newly formed Trump administration due to the president's impeachment.
He has consistently expressed confidence in communicating with the United States. During a back briefing with the press corps last July, Prime Minister Han remarked on the so-called 'Trump risk,' saying, "Opinion leaders in the U.S. Congress, military, corporations, and academia all agree that 'the Korea-U.S. alliance is strong.' Whichever president comes into office will not act entirely disregarding these interests," and added, "While there may be discussions about whether Korea should do more, it does not seem like a situation that cannot be resolved through dialogue. Given our system, economic power, and deep Korea-U.S. relations in various fields, I believe we can adequately manage the issues."
Meanwhile, the reasons for impeachment proposed by the plaintiff, the National Assembly, against Prime Minister Han include: ▲Suggesting the President exercise the right to demand reconsideration (veto) regarding the 'Yoon Seok-yeol and Kim Keon-hee special prosecutor act'; ▲Active involvement in the Dec. 3 martial law situation; ▲Revealing plans for joint national governance with the political party soon after martial law; ▲Neglecting the request for recommendations for 'ongoing special investigators' candidates; ▲Refusing to appoint Constitutional Court justices, among five reasons. Among these, the most contentious issue is the refusal to appoint a Constitutional Court justice.
In the ruling party and parts of the legal community, there is an increasing weight on the possibility of an impeachment 'dismissal' due to the rapid conclusion of arguments, and the Constitutional Court's dismissal of the National Assembly's request for witness submissions, directing that materials such as prosecutorial investigation records should only be submitted as 'References' post-argument and not as 'evidence.'