Following 111 days after the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol from office, South Korea’s Constitutional Court now decided to uphold the impeachment of the now-former president, removing him from office completely.
South Korea Constitutional Court’s acting chief, Moon Hyung-bae, notified the public through broadcast television of the unanimous decision. All of the current justices found that there is not sufficient legal requirement for Yoon to declare martial law.
Moon also stated that the former president even attempted to end the reversal of martial law by sending the military and police to South Korea’s National Assembly, further violating the law.
With this unanimous decision, South Korea will then begin a process of snap election within a 60 days period to find a new president. Until then, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will continue his position as acting president.
He assumed the role following Moon’s impeachment, before being impeached on December 27. The constitutional court later reinstated him on March 24, 2025.
The entire event started when Yoon Suk Yeol declared the first martial law in over 40 years on December 3, 2024, claiming the threat of “North Korean communist forces” and “anti-state forces.” Few hours later, the South Korea lawmakers voted the decree down and Yoon was later impeached and suspended from office on December 14, 2024.
