South Korea’s Constitutional Court has unanimously upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, formally removing him from office over his 3 December declaration of martial law. The ruling marks the country’s most serious constitutional crisis in decades and begins a 60-day countdown to elect a new president.
Yoon, 64, was suspended from office in December after lawmakers voted to impeach him. He had announced martial law in a late-night broadcast, citing unspecified threats from “anti-state” and North Korean forces. The order was lifted just six hours later, after military personnel attempting to secure the National Assembly were blocked by parliamentary staff.
The court concluded that Yoon had violated his constitutional powers by deploying military and police forces against the legislature in an attempt to prevent it from repealing his decree. Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae said Yoon’s actions amounted to “a serious challenge to democracy” and “a grave betrayal of the people’s trust.”
The decision removes Yoon from office permanently. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who was reinstated as acting president on 24 March, will remain in that role until a new president is inaugurated.
In its ruling, the Constitutional Court found that Yoon had no legal basis for declaring martial law. The court rejected his argument that it was necessary to counter alleged parliamentary abuse by the opposition Democratic Party, stating there were constitutional avenues available to resolve such disputes.
Yoon also faces a separate criminal trial for insurrection, related to the martial law decree. He was arrested in January and released in March after a court cancelled his arrest warrant. Oral arguments in the criminal case are scheduled to begin on 14 April. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Following the court’s ruling, South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index fell 1.66% and the tech-heavy Kosdaq dropped 0.85%. The South Korean won strengthened slightly.
The ruling People Power Party said it accepted the verdict and apologised to the public. Acting President Han said he would work to ensure a peaceful and stable transition.
The Finance Ministry convened an emergency meeting with the Bank of Korea and financial regulators to assess the economic impact. Authorities deployed over 14,000 police officers in Seoul amid fears of unrest. While some Yoon supporters reacted with anger, public protests remained largely peaceful.
The court’s decision was expected to bring some political clarity but does not resolve uncertainty surrounding the upcoming presidential race. The opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung is widely considered a frontrunner, though no candidate has yet been formally nominated.
