and Philippine President
Bongbong Marcos in Manila on 7 October 2024 Upon the impeachment of
Prime Minister of South Korea and concurrent acting president
Han Duck-soo on 27 December 2024, he became both acting president and acting prime minister of South Korea. on 6 January 2025 in Seoul The crash of
Jeju Air Flight 2216, the deadliest plane crash to occur on South Korean soil, occurred only two days into Choi's acting presidency. One of his first acts was to formally declare
Muan County, where the disaster occurred, as a special disaster zone. He also ordered an emergency review of South Korea's aircraft operation systems. On 31 December 2024, Choi appointed
Chung Kyesun and
Cho Hanchang to the
Constitutional Court of Korea as part of efforts to fill vacancies in the court, an issue that contributed to Han's impeachment when he refused to fill three vacancies in the chamber. The appointments were criticised by both the ruling
People Power Party, which opposed him making any appointments to the court at all, and the opposition
Democratic Party (DPK), which cited his refusal to appoint a third nominee,
Ma Eun-hyuk, which Choi based on the lack of bipartisan support for the latter's nomination. The appointments also led to a mass resignation of senior officials associated with impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol in the presidential office, which said that the move "goes beyond the authorities of an interim leader". However, Choi rejected the resignations. At the same time, Choi vetoed two special counsel bills that sought to investigate
Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife
Kim Keon Hee over his
martial law declaration and charges of corruption. He also vetoed a revised version of the bill in January 2025, citing a lack of bipartisan consensus, and another bill in March that sought to investigate Yoon over an influence-peddling scandal during a parliamentary by-election in 2022. Choi was also criticised over his role in the
failed attempt to arrest Yoon Suk Yeol at his residence on 3 January 2025, with the DPK accusing him of obstructing Yoon's arrest by allowing the
Presidential Security Service to block the
Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials from implementing its arrest warrant on Yoon. On 6 February, Choi was questioned by the National Assembly over a memorandum he received from Yoon Suk Yeol ordering the creation of a budget for an emergency legislative body which was to have been created during martial law. On 27 February, the Constitutional Court ruled that acting Chief Justice Choi's decision to withhold Ma Eun-hyuk's appointment to the Constitutional Court violated the National Assembly's right to elect a justice to the court but dismissed a petition to have Ma appointed immediately. leader
Lee Jae Myung to discuss South Korea's political crisis following the 2024 South Korean martial law declaration On 18 March, Choi vetoed a bill that would have overhauled decision-making processes at the
Korea Communications Commission, citing "significant unconstitutional elements" and concerns over the stability of the KCC's operations. Following the overturning of Han Duck-soo's impeachment by the Constitutional Court on 24 March, Choi was relieved of his duties as acting president and prime minister.
Impeachment attempt On 21 March 2025, the DPK and four other opposition parties submitted a motion in the National Assembly to impeach Choi, citing his refusal to appoint justices to the Constitutional Court. The petitioners also charged Choi with abetting Yoon's martial law declaration in December 2024, failing to appoint a National Assembly-backed independent prosecutor to look into possible insurrection by Yoon despite the legislature passing a resolution to do so, and failing to act on the application of a nominee to the
Supreme Court of Korea. However, Choi resigned minutes before the chamber was set to vote on the motion on 1 May, prompting the suspension of the proceedings. His departure reduced the number of members in the governing cabinet to 14, below the minimum 15 needed for it to convene under the constitution.
Travel ban On 27 May 2025, both Choi and former Prime Minister Han were barred from traveling abroad after being named as a suspect in the insurrection case against Yoon Suk Yeol over his martial law declaration, after CC-TV footage of Han conversing with former Defense Minister Kim the day of the martial law declaration was discovered. On 11 December 2025, Choi was indicted on charges of failing to fill the vacancies at the Constitutional Court during Yoon's impeachment and lying during Han's trial. == Personal life ==