On April 4, South Korea’s Supreme Court ruled to approve the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, officially removing him from office. About this informs CNN.
The court’s decision takes effect immediately, so Yol must leave the presidential residence. Eight judges unanimously supported the impeachment.
The acting head of the court noted that Yun’s decree on the introduction of martial law was unconstitutional, since there was no serious threat to national security at the time of its announcement, and the grounds for such a step “cannot be justified.” The court also indicated that the president violated the procedure for declaring martial law, limited the rights of parliament and violated his duties as commander-in-chief by inciting the military against citizens.
In a separate criminal case, Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested in January on charges of attempted rebellion, but a court overturned his arrest warrant in March. The charges remain.
In Seoul, the reaction to the court decision was mixed. Impeachment supporters celebrated outside the courthouse, waving flags and dancing to music. Opponents feared that if Yol returned to power, he might again introduce emergency measures.
According to South Korean law, new presidential elections must be held within 60 days of the removal of the current president. One likely candidate is opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, a former lawyer and lawmaker who narrowly lost to Yoon Suk Yeol in the 2022 election.
