Yoon Suk Yeol, the President of South Korea, officially impeached in December due to his failed attempt to impose martial law, will discover on Friday if he’ll be formally removed from office or reinstated as per the nation’s top court’s ruling on Tuesday.

South Korea is on edge as it awaits the decision from the Constitutional Court regarding President Yoon’s fate. Since his impeachment by the National Assembly on December 14, President Yoon has been suspended from his office. The Constitutional Court’s decision, which cannot be appealed, is pivotal in the political upheaval initiated by Yoon’s declaration of martial law on December 3.

His removal would necessitate support from at least six of the court’s eight justices; otherwise, he will regain his position. This decision is a key moment in South Korean politics, with the potential to mark Yoon as the second President in the country’s history to be ousted through impeachment. In the event of his removal, a new election must be held within 60 days.

South Korea’s political crisis is likely to intensify if Yoon is reinstated, considering his attempt to impose martial law infuriated millions of citizens. Even after reinstatement, his leadership will be significantly weakened. Additionally, criminal charges against him, unrelated to the impeachment proceedings, are being fought in a separate trial at the Seoul Central District Court.

If President Yoon Suk Yeol is reinstated by the court, South Korea’s political crisis is expected to intensify. His attempt to impose martial law has not only angered millions of South Koreans but also considerably weakened his ability to govern. Earlier in January, he was detained on insurrection charges related to this ill-fated move, with the legal proceedings surrounding his detention and the criminal charges separate from the impeachment process. A decision by the Constitutional Court in his favor could galvanize his supporters, who see the impeachment and insurrection charge as unjust, while a majority of South Koreans, according to recent surveys, wish to see him removed from office.

On December 3, President Yoon unexpectedly declared martial law, labeling the opposition-controlled National Assembly as a “monster” and a “den of criminals” that had “paralyzed” his government. This unprecedented action, the first of its kind in over four decades, sparked the nation’s worst political crisis in decades. South Koreans, who recall the past injustices under military rule, participated in massive street protests demanding Yoon’s removal.