South Korea’s Constitutional Court has officially removed impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, a decision announced today following a tumultuous few months in which Yoon instigated considerable political unrest by declaring martial law and deploying troops to parliament. This unanimous ruling by the court comes three months after the opposition-led National Assembly voted in favour of his impeachment.
In light of Yoon’s removal, South Korea is now obligated to organise a national presidential election within two months to appoint a successor. Initial surveys suggest that Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the frontrunner in this upcoming contest.
The court’s acting chief, Moon Hyung-bae, stated that Yoon’s martial law proclamation constituted a severe breach of the constitution and other legal frameworks. He emphasised that the ramifications of Yoon’s actions were significant enough to justify his removal from office, asserting that the necessity of preserving constitutional integrity outweighed any potential downside of losing a sitting president.
While Yoon has not responded directly to the ruling, his People Power Party has indicated they will accept the court’s decision. Following the announcement, a crowd gathered near the historical royal palace in downtown Seoul erupted in joy, with attendees expressing their relief and happiness over the verdict.
The chaos surrounding Yoon’s administration began on December 3, when he declared martial law, leading to the deployment of military personnel and police officers at the National Assembly. Yoon claimed the move was to maintain order, but testimonies from high-ranking military and police officials revealed that he had directed them to remove lawmakers from chambers to prevent the assembly from voting on his decree. Ultimately, lawmakers managed to convene and unanimously voted against Yoon’s martial law decree.
The National Assembly then moved to impeach Yoon on December 14, citing violations of the constitution including attempts to suppress parliamentary activities and detaining political figures, actions deemed as detrimental to national peace and order.
In the aftermath of the Constitutional Court’s ruling, tensions remain high as political divisions deepen, with many experts predicting that supporters of Yoon may escalate their protests, prolonging the nation’s state of disunity.