South Korea’s Constitutional Court has officially removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office.
The court agreed that Yoon had gone beyond his powers and violated the country’s constitution by declaring martial law last year.

Reason for the impeachment of President Yoon:

Yoon declared martial law last year. Yoon said that he did not have the bad intention of imposing martial law. He only said that martial law was imposed to halt the opposition party from misusing its majority in parliament. However, the court did not accept this reasoning. It said he violated the law and abused his power.

Yoon repeatedly claimed that the opposition party was trying to weaken the state through their control of parliament. Right after six hours of imposing martial law, he lifted the order. His decision came after parliament staffers blocked soldiers using barricades and fire extinguishers. The soldiers had arrived by helicopter and broke windows to enter the building. Lawmakers quickly voted to reject the martial law decree.

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Yoon later said he never meant to fully enforce military rule and insisted that no one was hurt during the events. Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae explained that Yoon’s actions were a serious threat to democracy. He said Yoon broke the people’s trust and created chaos in the country’s politics, economy, and foreign affairs.

New Presidential election:

After the constitution ousted President Yoon, it declared a new presidential election to take place within 60 days. Until then, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will act as president. Acting President Han promised to ensure a smooth and peaceful transition. He said his goal is to maintain order and stability in the country.

A nation divided:

The court’s decision on the exile of Yoon triggered the emotions of the supporters and the critics of the ex-president. Many people came out of their houses and shouted slogans of “We won!” However, some people waited outside the court overnight. However, Yoon’s supporters were angry and disappointed. One protester broke a police bus window in frustration and was arrested.

Economic reaction:

The South Korean economy has not been affected after the banishment of President Yoon. The stock market was affected little, but the trading is about 1% higher against the US dollar. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok plans to hold an emergency meeting with the Bank of Korea and other financial leaders to assess any long-term economic risks.

Court rejects Yoon’s justifications:

Yoon gave justification for his past actions to the court, but the court refused to accept those justifications. Yoon, however, said that he declared martial law only to protect the nation from those who wanted to damage the nation’s pride. Moreover, he said that he also wanted to stop the opposition from misusing its power in the constitution. But the court said there were other legal ways to solve such conflicts.

The court also said the martial law order lacked legal support and was not carried out properly. Using the military to stop parliament was a serious violation of the Constitution, especially the part that protects the separation of powers.

Political apology and response:

The acting leader of Yoon’s party, Kwon Young-se, publicly apologised for the crisis. He said the party accepted the court’s decision and would work with the interim president to bring stability back to the country. Meanwhile, political experts say this ruling clears the air. Professor Leif-Eric Easley of Ewha University said the decision ends a long period of uncertainty. He said the next government will now need to face big challenges like North Korea’s threats, China’s pressure, and the US trade demands.

Yoon faces trial for insurrection:

President Yoon’s troubles are not over. He now faces a criminal trial for insurrection related to the martial law event. He was the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested in January. However, he was released in March after a court canceled his arrest warrant.