White House 'confident' in South Korea's resilience as Han Duck-soo returns to office

The United States said it was confident about the democratic resilience of South Korea, as its expressed its commitment to working with acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday.

"The US is committed to working with acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and the ROK Government. We are confident in the democratic resilience of the ROK and the Korean People," read the note by the White House revealed by Han's office, referring to South Korea by the acronym of its official name, the Republic of Korea.

Han returned to office on Monday following the Constitutional Court's majority ruling that voted down the opposition-led impeachment of him.

Presiding over the first Cabinet meeting upon his return on Tuesday, Han said the government's priorities lie in securing the national interest and that they would work to address the tariff challenges with the United States.

"The trade war has a ripple effect on the world, while South Korea is suffering from a domestic economic slowdown and inflation, taking a toll on small business owners," Han said, adding he will pull out all the stops to navigate the US tariff storm.

Han's office also announced that a ministerial meeting to monitor global economic prospects led by Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok will be elevated to one presided over by Han to tackle US trade uncertainties and enhance the government's relevant cooperation with the private sector, beginning Tuesday.

At the Cabinet meeting, budget guidelines for 704.2 trillion won ($479 billion) in spending for 2026 were also approved, primarily aimed at countering the trade tensions posed by the US Trump administration.

The budget guidelines indicated that a primary focus of the proposed budget was providing state support to diversify export destinations and stabilize supply chains, alongside nurturing technologies such as artificial intelligence. The Finance Ministry, however, did not disclose the specific budget allocation for the support measures to address trade uncertainties.

At the meeting, Han also promised to lay out a pangovernmental measure to fight wildfires ravaging the country's southern areas and support those affected by them. As of Tuesday morning, nearly 150 square kilometers -- one-fourth of the size of the capital city of Seoul -- were destroyed by wildfires.

He also urged defiant medical school students to end their walkout and return to the classroom following the government's proposal to scrap its planned medical school quota hike plan starting in 2026. Han said South Korea was at a critical juncture this week to normalize medical schools, as their student registration deadlines are approaching.

Han urged the South Korean military to maintain a readiness posture against any North Korean provocations, as South Korea will mark the 10th West Sea Defense Day on Friday to honor 55 fallen heroes, including 46 sailors killed at a tragic sinking of Cheonan warship near the sea border with North Korea in March 2010.

Han, however, remained silent over the appointment of Constitutional Court justice nominee Ma Eun-hyuk. Ma is considered progressive-leaning.

In its verdict Monday, five justices of the currently eight-member bench found that Han had violated the Constitution and law by failing to appoint Ma to complete the nine-member bench of the Constitutional Court — tasked with Yoon's impeachment trial. Four justices argued that his violation was not serious enough to justify his removal, while Justice Chung Kye-sun was the sole dissenter, deeming Han’s failure to appoint the justices a "grave violation" warranting impeachment.

Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's Floor Leader Rep. Park Chan-dae on Tuesday urged Han to appoint Ma immediately, saying it is evident that Han is violating the Constitution again by refusing to do so. This came as the Constitutional Court's verdict on Yoon, who declared martial law on Dec. 3, has continually been delayed, amid speculations that the justices could be divided over the ruling.

The court's decision not to remove Han from his post "does not necessarily mean that Han's breach of the law has disappeared," Park said at a party meeting.