Yoon Suk-yeol Impeached by South Korea's Constitutional Court

On April 4, the Constitutional Court of South Korea unanimously decided to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol, marking a significant political event as he becomes only the second sitting president to be removed from office, following Park Geun-hye in 2017. The court's ruling came at 11:22 AM when Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae announced, "We hereby remove President Yoon Suk-yeol from office." This decision means that President Yoon, who took office on May 10, 2022, will leave before completing three years of his term, just 122 days after declaring a state of emergency on December 3, 2024, and 111 days after the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion on December 14, 2024.

The Constitutional Court found that President Yoon had seriously violated the constitution and laws on five counts, including the declaration of a state of emergency, obstructing National Assembly activities by mobilizing military and police forces, issuing proclamations, attempting to seize control of the election commission, and trying to ascertain the whereabouts of legal professionals. The court stated, "While it seems the president felt a heavy responsibility to resolve the paralysis of governance caused by the opposition's overreach, he should have respected the National Assembly as a partner for cooperation and engaged in dialogue and compromise with the government."

The court emphasized that the president's actions, which included declaring a state of emergency in violation of constitutional and legal provisions, shocked the public and caused chaos across various sectors, including social, economic, political, and diplomatic realms. It concluded that the president's unconstitutional and illegal actions represented a betrayal of public trust and were unacceptable violations of the law from the perspective of upholding the constitution. The court determined that the negative impact and repercussions of the president's legal violations on constitutional order were significant enough that the benefits of impeachment outweighed the national losses incurred by his removal.

Following the ruling, former President Yoon expressed his gratitude through his legal team, stating, "It has been a great honor to serve the Republic of Korea. I deeply appreciate everyone who supported and encouraged me despite my shortcomings. I am truly sorry for not meeting your expectations."

Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo assured that there would be no gaps in national security and diplomacy and that he would ensure a smooth transition for the next government by managing the upcoming presidential election effectively.