SEOUL, South Korea, March 24, (AP): South Korea’s Constitutional Court overturned the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, reinstating the nation's No. 2 official as acting leader Monday while not yet ruling on the separate impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his shocking imposition of martial law late in December.

Many observers said the 7-1 ruling in Han's case did not signal much about the upcoming verdict on Yoon, as Han wasn’t a key figure in imposing martial law. But the ruling could still embolden Yoon’s staunch supporters and ramp up their political offensive on the opposition. Speaking with reporters following his reinstatement, Han thanked the court for what he called "a wise decision” and promised to focus on tackling "urgent matters,” including a fast-changing global trade environment, in an apparent reference to the Trump administration’s aggressive tariffs policy.

He also called for national unity, saying: "There’s no left or right - what matters is the advancement of our nation.” South Korea has been thrown into huge political turmoil, since Yoon, a conservative, declared martial law on Dec 3 and sent hundreds of troops to the liberal-controlled National Assembly and other places in Seoul.

Yoon's decree lasted only six hours as enough lawmakers managed to enter an assembly hall and voted it down quickly. The assembly impeached Yoon on Dec. 14, alleging he violated the constitution and other laws by suppressing assembly activities and trying to detain politicians. Yoon's impeachment made Han acting president until he was impeached in late December.

The unprecedented, successive impeachments that suspended the country’s top two officials intensified domestic division and deepened worries about the country’s diplomatic and economic activities. Han, who attempted to reassure diplomatic partners and stabilize markets during his time as acting president, was accused in the impeachment motion of abetting Yoon’s martial law declaration and obstructing efforts to restore the Constitutional Court’s full membership and investigate Yoon’s alleged rebellion.