On Friday, South Korea’s Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, removing him from office four months after his brief imposition of martial law on December 3rd. Protesters celebrating the ruling waved flags and pumped their fists in the air, while hundreds of thousands had been demonstrating for and against Mr. Yoon in freezing temperatures, rain, and snow for weeks. Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyungbae announced that all eight justices had voted unanimously to remove Mr. Yoon for betraying the trust of the people and severely violating the law. The ruling took immediate effect and couldn’t be appealed. Mr. Yoon’s party, the People Power Party, accepted the decision.

Mr. Yoon’s impeachment stemmed from his sudden declaration of martial law, which lasted only six hours before lawmakers voted to overturn it. The court ruled that the martial law decree didn’t meet the constitutional requirement for a national crisis, citing Mr. Yoon’s failure in his duties as commander in chief and the severity of his actions.

Acting president Han Duck-soo will continue in his role until a snap election is held within 60 days, meaning early June at the latest. Political parties will select their candidates through primary elections. The opposition Democratic Party is expected to be led by Lee Jae-myung, who has been Mr. Yoon’s political rival since the 2022 presidential elections. The leading candidates for the ruling People Power Party are still uncertain, with possibilities including Han Dong-hoon, Oh Se-hoon, and Hong Joon-pyo.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/world/asia/yoon-south-korea-impeachment-ruling.html