The Constitutional Court of South Korea has upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol due to his ill-fated declaration of martial law, delivering a unanimous decision to remove him from office for breaching the constitution.
At 64, Mr. Yoon was suspended by lawmakers following his attempt on December 3 to undermine civilian governance, which involved the deployment of armed troops to parliament. Additionally, he was arrested on charges of insurrection in a separate criminal case.
His ousting necessitates new presidential elections to be conducted within 60 days.
Acting court President Moon Hyung-bae stated, “Considering the serious detrimental impact and extensive ramifications of the respondent’s constitutional breaches… (We) dismiss respondent President Yoon Suk Yeol.”
All eight judges of the court reached a unanimous verdict and have since been provided with extra security measures by the police amid rising tensions and demonstrations from pro-Yoon supporters.
The judges asserted that Mr. Yoon’s actions “violate the fundamental principles of the rule of law and democratic governance, thereby jeopardizing the constitutional order and posing a significant threat to the stability of the democratic republic.”
The court ruled that Mr. Yoon’s order to send armed troops to parliament in an effort to prevent lawmakers from rejecting his decree “violated the political neutrality of the armed forces and the responsibility of supreme command.”
Supporters of the impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed their emotions after hearing the verdict from the Constitutional Court.
The judges noted that he utilized military forces “for political aims,” which “forced soldiers, tasked with ensuring national security and defending the country, to confront civilian citizens.”
“Ultimately, the respondent’s unconstitutional and unlawful actions constitute a betrayal of the public’s trust and represent a serious breach of the law that cannot be condoned from the viewpoint of safeguarding the Constitution,” the ruling concluded.
Anti-Yoon Suk Yeol demonstrators watched a live broadcast of the court’s ruling.
Impeached
Mr. Yoon becomes the second South Korean leader to face impeachment by the court, following Park Geun-hye’s case in 2017.
Judges deliberated for over a month on this case after weeks of intense hearings, during a time of increasing public unrest.
Today, police raised their alert to the highest level, deploying their entire force. Officers surrounded the courthouse with vehicles and stationed special operations units nearby.
As the verdict was read, anti-Yoon protesters expressed their feelings with tears, cheers, and shouts, while some celebrated joyfully and hugged one another.
Contrarily, Mr. Yoon’s supporters gathered outside his residence, expressing anger and sorrow, with some breaking down in tears upon hearing the decision.
Yoon Suk Yeol is also set to face a separate criminal trial regarding insurrection charges linked to his martial law declaration.
The impeached president, who has defended his actions as a necessary move to combat “anti-state forces,” still retains the support of a faction of extreme supporters.
Embassies, including those of the United States, France, Russia, and China, have advised their citizens to steer clear of any mass gatherings related to today’s ruling.
According to Byunghwan Son, a professor at George Mason University, the ruling highlights “primarily the resilience of South Korean democracy.”
He added, “The ability of the system to hold firm suggests that South Korean democracy can endure even the most severe threats, such as a coup attempt.”
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‘Highly unlikely’ to reinstate
Since Mr. Yoon’s martial law declaration four months ago, South Korea has operated without an effective head of state, as the opposition also impeached his interim replacement, who was ultimately reinstated by a court verdict.
This leadership vacuum coincided with multiple crises, including an aviation disaster and the country’s most severe wildfires.
This week, South Korea faced the imposition of 25% tariffs on exports to its key ally, the United States, following President Donald Trump’s introduction of global reciprocal levies.
According to Vladimir Tikhonov, a Korean Studies professor at the University of Oslo, South Korea has been “partially paralyzed since December, functioning without a legitimate president amidst both natural disasters and the political turmoil stemming from Trump.”
Mr. Yoon also faces charges of insurrection in a separate criminal trial concerning his attempt to implement martial law.
