South Korean Court Removes President Yoon in Landmark Ruling

Seoul, South Korea—The Constitutional Court of Korea unanimously voted on Friday to remove President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, finding him guilty of serious constitutional violations related to his declaration of martial law and deployment of military forces to the National Assembly.

Due to a one-member vacancy, the eight-member Constitutional Court ruled that Yoon's actions constituted “serious constitutional violations” and that he should be removed from office.

“Respondent Yoon declared martial law without meeting substantive or procedural requirements, deployed military and police forces, interfered with the constitutional authority of the National Assembly, and broadly violated the people's fundamental rights,” the ruling, which was handed down at 11:22 a.m. KST, said.

The court rejected Yoon's justification that opposition party actions had created a governance crisis warranting emergency measures, finding no legitimate national emergency existed at the time of the martial law declaration.

According to the ruling, Yoon ordered special forces to enter the National Assembly building, with some soldiers breaking windows to gain entry. 

The court found that Yoon instructed commanders to forcibly remove lawmakers and directed police to block parliamentary access, preventing some legislators from entering the complex.

The court also determined that Yoon violated constitutional principles by issuing a martial law proclamation prohibiting the activities of the National Assembly, local legislatures, and political parties. 

The Constitutional Court viewed these actions as directly contradicting constitutional provisions on democratic governance and the separation of powers.

The court also judged several other constitutional violations, including ordering warrantless searches of the Central Electoral Commission's buildings and computer systems, undermining the independence of the electoral authority, and attempting to locate a former chief justice with the intent of potentially arresting him.

The impeachment proceedings began after the National Assembly passed articles of impeachment during its 419th extraordinary session. 

The court dismissed arguments from Yoon's legal team that the impeachment process contained procedural flaws.

Inaugurated in May 2022, President Yoon began his term with an opposition-majority National Assembly, which suffered a crushing defeat in the April 2024 general election. 

However, while the Constitutional Court recognized the conflict between the government and the opposition, it emphasized resolving it under democratic procedures and principles. 

"Even if the President judged the National Assembly's exercise of authority to be an abuse of power, this should be addressed through constitutionally prescribed remedies," the ruling stated. 

"By declaring martial law in violation of the constitution and laws, the President recreated the history of abuse of emergency powers, shocking citizens and confusing social, economic, political, and diplomatic spheres."

The court concluded that "the President's unconstitutional and illegal acts betrayed the public trust and cannot be tolerated from the perspective of constitutional protection," marking only the second successful presidential impeachment in South Korea's democratic history.