SEOUL, April 9 – South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Thursday upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, marking the second time in less than a decade that a South Korean leader has been removed from office. The court ruled unanimously, triggering a snap presidential election set for June 3.
Yoon was ousted following a December 2024 decision to impose martial law, citing threats from “anti-state forces.” The move, widely seen as an attempt to override a hostile legislature, sparked massive nationwide protests and deepened political divisions. “The president gravely betrayed the trust of the sovereign citizens of Korea and violated constitutional order,” the court said in its ruling. It added that Yoon’s actions undermined the political neutrality of the military and subverted democratic norms.
Yoon, a conservative former prosecutor who took office in 2022, declared martial law on December 3, the 17th such measure in the country’s modern history. Within hours, South Korea’s National Assembly convened an emergency session, lifting the martial law. Days later, lawmakers passed an impeachment motion with 204 out of 300 votes.
The court’s verdict caps months of political turmoil, during which hundreds of thousands of South Koreans staged protests across major cities. Demonstrators were split between those defending Yoon and others calling for his removal. On January 17, a corruption watchdog secured an arrest warrant for Yoon, prompting violent clashes outside the courthouse by his supporters.
Yoon had defended the imposition of martial law, claiming it was necessary to maintain public order and respond to internal threats. However, the court found no evidence of imminent danger justifying such a drastic step. It rejected claims of election fraud, which Yoon had raised in his defense.
The ruling disqualifies Yoon from public office and exposes him to multiple criminal investigations from which he was previously shielded under presidential immunity. With the People Power Party (PPP) in disarray following Yoon’s ouster, attention is turning to the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). Its leader, Lee Jae-myung, who led the party to victory in the 2024 parliamentary elections, is widely seen as the frontrunner in the upcoming presidential vote.
The incoming president will also have to confront growing external pressures, including rising tensions with North Korea and economic headwinds driven by new U.S. “reciprocal tariffs” on South Korean exports. Security forces remain on alert in the capital and across the country, with interim leadership calling for calm ahead of the June vote.
