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South Korea's Constitutional Court has removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, upholding his impeachment over a controversial martial law decree issued in December, Yonhap News Agency reported.
This historic verdict, read by acting court chief Moon Hyung-bae, takes immediate effect and paves the way for a snap presidential election within 60 days, likely to be held on June 3 Yoon's troubles began when he declared martial law on December 3, deploying troops to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from voting down the decree. He also ordered the arrest of politicians, sparking widespread outrage and accusations of abusing power, as per Yonhap News Agency. The opposition-controlled National Assembly impeached Yoon in mid-December, citing violations of the Constitution and laws. The Constitutional Court's unanimous decision confirms that Yoon's actions had severe consequences for the country's constitutional order. "The negative effects on the constitutional order and the repercussions from the defendant's violations of the law are grave, making the benefits of protecting the Constitution by dismissing the defendant larger than the national losses from dismissing the president by an overwhelming degree," Moon said. According to Yonhap News Agency, the court effectively recognized all of the charges against Yoon, including that he did not meet the legal requirements for declaring martial law and sent troops to the Assembly to stop its reversal of the decree. The ruling People Power Party said it "humbly accepts" the court's ruling, while the main opposition, the Democratic Party, welcomed it as a "people's victory" (ANI)
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