South Korea’s president Yoon Suk Yeol has been removed from office after the constitutional court voted unanimously to uphold parliament’s move to impeach him following his declaration of martial law in December 2024.
The country’s Acting President Han Duck-soo will remain in office until a new president is inaugurated, with presidential elections to be held within 60 days. “Respecting the will of our sovereign people, I will do my utmost to manage the next presidential election in accordance with the constitution and the law, ensuring a smooth transition to the next administration,” Han said in a televised address.
Yoon was suspended from office last December after declaring martial law with the claim that the opposition party was abusing its parliamentary majority. Pro and anti-Yoon protestors have been filling the streets of the country’s capital Seoul for the past few days as the constitutional court deliberated on the case. Finally, all eight justices voted to strip Yoon of his presidential powers.
The court said there are legal avenues to address disagreements about abuses of a parliamentary majority and that mobilising the military was a grave violation of Yoon’s constitutional duty. Acting chief justice, Moon Hyung-bae, stated: “(Yoon) committed a grave betrayal of the trust of the people, who are the sovereign members of the democratic republic.” He added that by declaring martial law, Yoon had created chaos across South Korean society, economy and foreign policy.
Yoon, who cannot appeal the decision and must now face a separate criminal trial, said in a written statement that it had been “a great honour” to serve as president: “I deeply thank all of you who have supported and encouraged me despite my many shortcomings. I am very sorry and regretful that I could not live up to your expectations. I will always pray for our beloved Republic of Korea and its citizens.”
After months of uncertainty, South Korea will now be able to move forward to address other challenges it is currently facing, including US President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs and a tense relationship with China, although the Chinese government has recently made some trade concessions towards the country. Korea’s entertainment industry is currently waiting to see if China’s unofficial ban on Korean content will be lifted.
Yoon is the second South Korea president to be removed from office through impeachment after Park Geun-hye in 2017.
