South Korean Constitutional Court Removes President Yoon Suk Yeol

The ruling, read by acting Constitutional Court Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae and broadcast live, took effect immediately, forcing South Korea to hold a snap presidential election to choose Yoon's successor within 60 days, which many expect will fall on June 3.

Mr. Yoon was impeached by the opposition-controlled National Assembly in mid-December 2024 on charges of violating the Constitution and the law by declaring martial law on December 3, deploying troops to the National Assembly to prevent lawmakers from voting to reject the decree and ordering the arrest of politicians.

“The negative impact on the constitutional order and the consequences of the defendant’s violations of the law are so serious that the benefits of protecting the Constitution by removing the defendant from office far outweigh the national loss from removing the president,” Moon said.

The court upheld most of the charges against Mr Yoon, including that he failed to meet the legal requirements to declare martial law and deployed troops to the National Assembly to block the repeal of the decree.

The ruling People Power party said it “humbly accepts” the court’s ruling, while the main opposition Democratic Party welcomed it as a “victory for the people”.