South Korean Constitutional Court Passes Impeachment Case, Yoon Seok-yeol Removed

On Friday, April 4, the Constitutional Court of South Korea ruled to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol and relieve him of his presidential duties. The decision was announced by Acting Chief Justice Won Hyung-bae and broadcasted on television. The ruling took immediate effect, requiring South Korea to hold a presidential by-election within 60 days to elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s successor. According to reports from the Yonhap News Agency, the election is widely predicted to take place on June 3.

Last December, Yoon Suk-yeol faced impeachment by the opposition-dominated parliament due to his brief imposition of martial law. The opposition parties accused him of violating the constitution and laws by deploying the military to the parliament, preventing lawmakers from voting on the order, and even ordering the arrest of several politicians. Yoon Suk-yeol denied all the charges against him.

Yoon Suk-yeol stated that the declaration of martial law was not intended for military rule but as a “warning” against the opposition parties’ abuse of power. He emphasized that it was aimed at alerting the people to unite against “anti-state forces.” The Constitutional Court’s ruling makes Yoon Suk-yeol the second South Korean president to be impeached and removed from office following Park Geun-hye in 2017.

Yoon Suk-yeol is currently facing another separate criminal prosecution for “insurrection.” If convicted, he could face the death penalty or life imprisonment.