South Korea’s Constitutional Court permanently removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office on Friday, making him the country’s second president in Korean history to leave office through impeachment.
Eight justices of the Constitutional Court unanimously decided to unseat Mr. Yoon for violating “the constitutional order” in his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae said in a ruling nationally televised live.
Moon added that President Yoon violated his duty as the nation’s commander-in-chief when he sent troops to the National Assembly.
The Parliament passed an impeachment motion in mid-December, accusing Yoon of violating the constitution and other laws by declaring martial law without justifiable reasons, suppressing assembly activities, attempting to detain politicians and undermining peace across the country.
Following the verdict, Yoon was immediately ousted from office, becoming the second president in Korean history to leave office through impeachment, after former President Park Geun-hye in 2017.
By law, the country must elect a new president within 60 days, which is by June 3.
The country’s financial markets recouped earlier losses on Friday after the verdict. The main Kospi index, which fell nearly 2% at its opening, traded down 0.7% after the verdict.
The Korean won has gained strength against the US dollar, trading 1,440.30 on Friday morning versus 1,452.20 on Thursday.
SOCIAL UNREST AND POLITICAL TURMOIL
The ruling comes 111 days after Korea’s Parliament impeached Yoon on Dec. 14, marking the longest impeachment process of a Korean president by the court.
It took 91 days for former President Park to be permanently removed from office after the parliament’s decision.
Domestic divides have deepened during the longer-than-expected deliberation process, said experts, forecasting the Korean society would navigate choppy waters for a while after Friday’s verdict.
Yoon’s failed attempt to impose martial law angered millions of Koreans, with tens of thousands of people protesting in front of the National Assembly and across the country, calling for a Constitutional Court ruling against him as early as possible.
Yoon’s loyalists have also taken to the streets in the past four months, demanding the reinstatement of Yoon’s powers.
Following Friday’s ruling, Han Duck-soo, the country’s acting president and prime minister, will remain in office in the interim after returning to office in late March after the same court overturned Han’s impeachment.
IT IS NOT OVER YET
Friday’s verdict is, however, not the end of Yoon’s legal troubles.
When the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion against Yoon in mid-December, lawmakers accused him of “betraying the public trust and abusing his constitutional authority to declare martial law, mobilizing government, military and police forces for an armed insurrection.”
In January, Yoon became the country’s first sitting president to be arrested on rebellion charges connected to his imposition of martial law.
He was released in early March but still faces criminal trials for the insurrection charges.
By Sookyung Seo and In-soo Nam
skseo@hankyung.com
Jennifer Nicholson-Breen edited this article.
