South Korea’s Prime Minister Han Duck-soo began his duties as acting president on Dec. 14 after President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment. This marks the third time in the nation’s history that a prime minister has taken on presidential duties due to impeachment.
Prime Minister Han expressed deep concern over the situation, stating that his “heart is very heavy” and pledged to “devote all my energy and efforts to ensuring stability.”
Han, 75, is a veteran technocrat who has served in leadership positions for more than three decades under five different presidents, both conservative and liberal.
Under Korea’s Constitution, the prime minister assumes the role of acting president if the president is impeached. President Yoon’s presidential duties are only suspended until the Constitutional Court delivers its verdict on the impeachment motion.
If the court upholds the impeachment, Yoon will be removed from office, and the prime minister will continue to act as president until a new president is elected within 60 days. Unlike the United States, where the vice president automatically succeeds the president in the event of a vacancy, South Korea does not have such a succession system.
Prime Minister Han issued an urgent directive to strengthen the military’s state of alert after lawmakers passed the impeachment motion against President Yoon. He stressed the need to prevent public unease and ensure national security. “The government must do everything in its power to maintain stability,” he told officials across all ministries.
Han instructed Deputy Defense Minister Kim Sun-ho, who is temporarily leading the Defense Ministry, to “increase the military’s readiness” to ensure the safety of the people by preventing any gaps in national security.”
Kim Myung-soo, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was tasked with “reinforcing vigilance” against potential North Korean provocations. Han urged him to maintain a “firm defense posture” based on the U.S.-ROK alliance to deter any miscalculations by Pyongyang.
