South Korea Court Removes Yoon Suk Yeol As President

South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Friday issued a landmark ruling, unanimously deciding to remove impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol from office due to his controversial martial law declaration. The decision, which has led to political chaos, will trigger new elections after months of turmoil.

The ruling was broadcast live, and millions of South Koreans followed the court’s proceedings, with KakaoTalk, the country’s major messaging app, experiencing delays due to the high volume of traffic. Acting Court President Moon Hyung-bae delivered the verdict, stating that Yoon’s actions had serious negative consequences for the country.

“Given the serious negative impact and far-reaching consequences of the respondent’s constitutional violations… (We) dismiss respondent President Yoon Suk Yeol,” Moon said. The judges cited Yoon’s declaration of martial law and his subsequent actions as significant breaches of the constitution.

The court ruled that Yoon’s decision to send armed soldiers to parliament in an effort to prevent lawmakers from voting down his martial law decree violated the principle of political neutrality of the armed forces. The ruling stated that deploying military forces for political purposes undermined the democratic governance of the nation.

The judges added that Yoon’s unconstitutional and illegal actions represented a betrayal of the public’s trust, and such conduct could not be tolerated.

Opposition party lawmakers celebrated the ruling, calling it “historic” while lawmakers from Yoon’s party quietly left the courtroom. With the ruling, Yoon is removed from office immediately, and fresh presidential elections must be held within 60 days. Authorities are expected to announce a date for the elections soon.

Yoon, 64, was previously suspended by lawmakers after his actions on December 3, which included attempts to subvert civilian rule by deploying armed troops to parliament. He was also arrested on insurrection charges.

After the verdict, Yoon released a brief statement expressing regret for failing to meet the expectations of the people. Outside the court, AFP reporters heard some of Yoon’s supporters shouting threats against the judges. As a result, the judges have been given additional security protection by the police.

This historic ruling marks a significant turning point in South Korea’s political landscape, with the nation now facing the prospect of fresh elections to decide its leadership.