The impeachment of Yoon requires the support of at least six out of the court’s eight justices in order to remove him from office.
On Friday, South Korea’s Constitutional Court will announce its decision regarding the permanent removal of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The court stated on Tuesday that it will deliver its verdict at 11 am (02:00 GMT) and that the ruling will be broadcasted live.
To successfully remove Yoon from office, at least six of the court’s eight justices must uphold his impeachment.
In the event that the court supports Yoon’s impeachment, a presidential election will be held within a 60-day period.
However, if the court does not uphold the impeachment, Yoon, who has been suspended from his duties since mid-December, will be immediately reinstated to his position.
Yoon, a former top prosecutor, justified his imposition of martial law as a measure to highlight the opposition Democratic Party’s obstructionism and alleged sympathetic stance towards North Korea.
Martial law was revoked by Yoon within six hours, following a unanimous decision by the National Assembly to overturn the decree.
Although the declaration of martial law was brief and did not result in violence, it negatively affected South Korea’s reputation as a modern, vibrant democracy and resurrected memories of the nation’s past dictatorship.
Yoon, who was elected in 2022 without previous political experience, is currently facing criminal charges of insurrection related to the martial law decree.
Notably, he is the first South Korean president to face prosecution while still in office, as earlier democratic-era leaders have only been imprisoned for crimes after their presidencies.
According to a Gallup Korea poll released last Friday, 60 percent of respondents support Yoon’s removal.
Opinion polls indicate that the Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung is currently the overwhelming favorite in the event of a snap election.
On Wednesday, an appeals court overturned Lee’s 2024 conviction for an election law violation that threatened to disqualify him from upcoming presidential elections.
Last week, the Constitutional Court also overturned the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, reinstating him as acting president while the case against Yoon is being considered.
The court stated on Tuesday that it will deliver its verdict at 11 am (02:00 GMT) and that the ruling will be broadcasted live.
To successfully remove Yoon from office, at least six of the court’s eight justices must uphold his impeachment.
In the event that the court supports Yoon’s impeachment, a presidential election will be held within a 60-day period.
However, if the court does not uphold the impeachment, Yoon, who has been suspended from his duties since mid-December, will be immediately reinstated to his position.
Yoon, a former top prosecutor, justified his imposition of martial law as a measure to highlight the opposition Democratic Party’s obstructionism and alleged sympathetic stance towards North Korea.
Martial law was revoked by Yoon within six hours, following a unanimous decision by the National Assembly to overturn the decree.
Although the declaration of martial law was brief and did not result in violence, it negatively affected South Korea’s reputation as a modern, vibrant democracy and resurrected memories of the nation’s past dictatorship.
Yoon, who was elected in 2022 without previous political experience, is currently facing criminal charges of insurrection related to the martial law decree.
Notably, he is the first South Korean president to face prosecution while still in office, as earlier democratic-era leaders have only been imprisoned for crimes after their presidencies.
According to a Gallup Korea poll released last Friday, 60 percent of respondents support Yoon’s removal.
Opinion polls indicate that the Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung is currently the overwhelming favorite in the event of a snap election.
On Wednesday, an appeals court overturned Lee’s 2024 conviction for an election law violation that threatened to disqualify him from upcoming presidential elections.
Last week, the Constitutional Court also overturned the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, reinstating him as acting president while the case against Yoon is being considered.
