South Korea’s President Removed From Office After Impeachment Upheld

What Happened?

South Korea’s Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Seuk Yeol for unlawfully instituting martial law.

The decision means President Yoon has been removed from office, and South Korea will hold special elections to elect a new President within sixty days. 

The South Korean Constitutional Court ruled that former President Yoon had “undermined the authority of the National Assembly while gravely violating his duties to the people of South Korea as commander in chief when he tried to seize control of the legislature in December.” 

Why it Matters

The impeachment of President Yoon was challenged as illegal by the Mr. Yoon’s lawyers, but the Constitutional Court’s ruling puts the legalities of the matter to rest.

Across South Korea the ruling generated a lot of support from the population, but also some scattered opposition from Mr. Yoon’s supporters. For his part Mr. Yoon issued a statement saying “It was a great honor to work for the people of South Korea. I am very regretful and apologize that I could not live up to your expectations.”

Mr. Yoon will still face a separate criminal trial which is slated to begin on April 14^th. That case will determine whether he engaged in an act of insurrection by illegally declaring martial law in December. 

Acting president Han Duck-soo promised to hold the new election “in accordance with the will of the sovereign people” and said that he would maintain “a strong security posture to ensure there are no gaps in national security and diplomacy.” 

North Korea offered little public commentary other than to say through state run media the decision to remove Mr. Yoon from office was unanimous. Its likely North Korea’s ruling regime would prefer to say as little as possible about a sitting president being removed from office by the legal system, so they don’t give the people of North Korea any ideas. 

North Korea’s military has not engaged in any unusual activity since the ruling.

South Korea is a key U.S. ally in the Pacific region, and the political upheaval surrounding Mr. Yoon had put the U.S. in a difficult position. They need a stable ally in South Korea, but the stated U.S. policy is not to interfere in South Korean domestic politics. 

By letting the South Korean process run its course, U.S. officials have lived up to their own policy. 

How it Affects You

Mr. Yoon was relatively friendly towards the United States, and his removal from office sets the stage for a new President to be elected in South Korea. 

Some of the contenders for South Korea’s presidency have indicated they will seek to create stronger ties with China instead of the United States, though its likely the U.S. South Korean military alliance will remain intact.