The country's Constitutional Court on Friday upheld the impeachment of Yun Seok-yeol, removing him from office four months after he briefly imposed martial law.
South Korea's Constitutional Court on Friday upheld the impeachment of President Yun Seok-yeol, removing him from office four months after martial law was briefly imposed on Dec. 3.
Protesters demanding his resignation cheered the decision, waving flags and pumping their fists in the air. In the weeks leading up to the decision, hundreds of thousands of people protesting for and against Mr. Yoon lined the streets of Seoul, often braving freezing temperatures, rain and snow.
At 11 a.m. local time, the court’s acting chief justice, Moon Hyun-bae, began reading the ruling, which came after months of deliberation. About 22 minutes later, he announced that all eight judges on the court had voted to remove Mr. Yoon from office. The now-former president had “betrayed the people’s trust” and “seriously violated the law,” Mr. Moon said.
“It has been a great honor to serve the country,” Mr. Yun said in a statement released through his lawyers. “I regret and regret that I have not been able to live up to your expectations.”
The court's decision comes into force immediately and is not subject to appeal.
Why was Mr. Yun impeached?
Late on December 3, Mr. Yun stunned the country by declaring martial law, but it lasted only six hours as lawmakers quickly voted to lift it.
Shortly after he made the announcement on live television, troops stormed the National Assembly building with orders to “break down the door and drag out” lawmakers gathered inside to vote against the martial law decree and arrest key figures, including the speaker. Crowds of citizens confronted the troops, with some lawmakers scaling fences to enter the assembly and vote.
