The South Korean Constitutional Court removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office.
The Constitutional Court unanimously upheld its impeachment decision against President Yoon Suk Yeol on April 4, removing him from the presidency for briefly declaring martial law in December 2024.
The ruling, read by Constitutional Court Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae and televised live, takes effect immediately, forcing South Korea to hold an early presidential election to choose Yoon's successor within 60 days, a date many predict will fall on June 3.
Yoon was impeached by the opposition-controlled National Assembly in mid-December 2024 on charges of violating the Constitution and laws by declaring martial law on December 3, deploying troops to the National Assembly to prevent lawmakers from voting against 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 very serious, making the benefits of protecting the Constitution by removing the defendant far greater than the national losses from removing the president," Moon declared.
The court upheld most of the charges against Yoon, including his failure to meet the legal requirements for declaring martial law and his deployment of troops to the National Assembly to prevent its repeal.
The ruling People Power Party declared they “humbly accept” the court’s ruling, while the main opposition Democratic Party hailed it as a “victory for the people.”
