South Korea Awaits Constitutional Court Ruling on Yoon Suk Yeol’s Impeachment

The court’s decision on the suspended president’s impeachment could reshape the nation’s political landscape, as protests and tensions escalate across the country.

• The Constitutional Court is expected to rule this week on whether President Yoon Suk Yeol will be permanently removed from office following his impeachment over a controversial martial law declaration in December.
• Protests have intensified nationwide, with tens of thousands of demonstrators both supporting and opposing Yoon’s removal, prompting heightened police preparations to prevent unrest.
• If six or more of the court’s nine justices vote for impeachment, Yoon will be removed from office, triggering a snap presidential election within 60 days; otherwise, he will retain his position.
• The opposition Democratic Party has criticized delays in the ruling, citing growing social unrest and economic uncertainty, and has urged the court to act swiftly and responsibly.
• Yoon also faces a separate criminal trial on insurrection charges related to his martial law declaration, making him the first sitting South Korean president to face such charges.

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The Independent