The Constitutional Court will announce on Friday whether Yun Seok-yeol, who was impeached in December for declaring martial law, will be permanently removed from office or reinstated.
South Korean President Yun Seok-yeol, who was impeached in December over his failed attempt to impose martial law, will learn on Friday whether he will be formally removed from office or returned to power , the country's top court said on Tuesday .
Tensions were mounting in South Korea as the country awaited a decision by the Constitutional Court on Mr. Yoon’s fate. He had been suspended from office since the National Assembly impeached him on Dec. 14. In South Korea, the Constitutional Court decides whether an impeached official will be permanently removed from office or reinstated.
Mr. Yun would need votes from six or more of the court’s eight justices to be removed from office; otherwise, he would be returned to office. The court’s decision, which cannot be appealed, is a critical juncture in the political upheaval that Mr. Yun unleashed when he declared martial law on Dec. 3.
If the court removes him from office, Mr. Yoon would be the second president in South Korean history to leave office through impeachment. (The first was President Park Geun-hye in 2017.) The country would quickly move on to new elections; a successor must be chosen within 60 days.
If he is reinstated, South Korea's political crisis is likely to deepen. Mr. Yoon's attempt to impose martial law has angered millions of South Koreans. Even if he is reinstated, he will resume his presidential duties, although his ability to govern will be significantly weakened.
In a statement, the Constitutional Court said it would meet at 11am on Friday to rule on Mr Yun's case. It said it would allow television channels to broadcast the ruling live.
