SEOUL, March 24 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's constitutional court on Monday rejected a motion by the parliament to impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, according to the court.

With the rejection, Han was immediately reinstated as prime minister and acting president as the ruling took effect right after delivering the decision.

Of eight justices of the nine-member bench, five rejected the motion while one upheld it. The remaining two were in favor of dismissal.

The impeachment motion against Han was passed by the opposition-controlled National Assembly on Dec. 27 last year following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol on Dec. 14 over his botched martial law imposition.

Choi Sang-mok, the economy and finance minister who doubles as deputy prime minister for economic affairs, became an acting president in December last year after the impeachments of both president and prime minister.