S. Korea’s Constitutional Court upholds impeachment: Yoon removed from office

(MENAFN) South Korea's political landscape has been dramatically altered as the Constitutional Court today affirmed the National Assembly's decision to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol, effectively ending his term in office. This ruling marks a significant moment in South Korean political history, making Yoon the second president to be forcibly removed from office, a fate previously experienced by Park Geun-hye in 2017.

The unanimous verdict from the eight justices of the Constitutional Court, delivered by acting chief Moon Hyung-bae, centered on the finding that Yoon had "violated the Constitution and laws by mobilizing military and police forces to obstruct the exercise of legislative authority." This decisive statement underscores the severity of the charges that led to the impeachment proceedings.

In explaining the court's rationale, Justice Moon emphasized the paramount importance of upholding the nation's foundational legal framework, stating that was essential to protect South Korea's Constitution. This highlights the court's belief that allowing Yoon to remain in power would have posed a greater threat to the integrity of South Korea's democratic institutions.

The impeachment process against Yoon culminated in today's ruling after 111 days of deliberation by the Constitutional Court. This period is notably longer than the 92 days it took for the court to rule on Park Geun-hye's impeachment and the 64 days for the case of Roh Moo-hyun, who was impeached in 2004 but subsequently reinstated. Yoon's removal places him in a unique and challenging position in South Korean political history, joining Park Geun-hye as the only sitting presidents to be successfully impeached and removed from office, and alongside Roh Moo-hyun as one of only three presidents to have faced impeachment by the National Assembly.

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