Yoon Suk Yeol removed as South Korea’s president over short-lived martial law

Seoul, Apr 4: South Korea’s Constitutional Court unanimously removed Yoon Suk Yeol from office Friday, ending his tumultuous presidency and setting up a new election, four months after he threw the nation into turmoil with an ill-fated declaration of martial law.

advertisement

The verdict capped a dramatic fall for Yoon, a former star prosecutor who became president in 2022, just a year after he entered politics.

In a nationally televised hearing, the court’s acting chief Moon Hyung-bae said the eight-member bench found Yoon’s actions were unconstitutional and had a grave impact.

“By declaring martial law in breach of the constitution and other laws, the defendant brought back the history of abusing state emergency decrees, shocked the people and caused confusion in the society, economy, politics, diplomacy and all other areas,” Moon said.

“Given the negative impact on constitutional order caused by the defendant’s violation of laws and its ripple effects are grave, we find that the benefits of upholding the constitution by dismissing the defendant far outweigh the national losses from the dismissal of the president,” the justice concluded.

Protesters erupt in jubilation and sorrow

Anti-Yoon protesters near the court erupted into tears and danced when the verdict was announced in the late morning. Two women wept as they hugged and an old man near them leapt to his feet and screamed with joy. The crowd later began marching through Seoul streets.

Outside Yoon’s official residence, many supporters cried, screamed and yelled at journalists when they saw the news of the verdict on a giant TV screen. But they quickly cooled down after their organiser pleaded for calm.

“We will absolutely not be shaken!” a protest leader shouted on stage. “Anyone who accepts this ruling and prepares for an early presidential election is our enemy.”

No major violence has been reported by late afternoon.

Korea faces an election with deep divisions

An election will be held within two months for a new president. But a festering divide over Yoon’s impeachment could complicate South Korea’s efforts to deal with crucial issues like President Donald Trump’s tariffs and other “America First” policies, observers say.

Yoon said in a statement issued via his defence team that he deeply regrets failing to live up to the public’s expectations, but stopped short of explicitly accepting the verdict. There have been fears he would incite efforts to resist his removal, as he earlier vowed to fight to the end.

He added that he will pray for the country and its people. “It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve our nation,” Yoon said.

Yoon’s ruling People Power Party said it would accept the decision, but one of Yoon’s lawyers, Yoon Kap-keun, called the ruling “completely incomprehensible” and a “pure political decision.”

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country’s acting leader, vowed to maintain public safety and order and ensure a smooth transition to the next administration.

Surveys show Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favourite to win the upcoming presidential by-election, though he faces several trials for corruption and other charges.

Lee welcomed the ruling and credited the South Korean people for “protecting our democratic republic.”

Crisis started with a night of chaos four months ago

Martial law lasted only six hours, but left behind a political crisis, rattling financial markets and unsettling the country’s diplomatic partners.

After announcing martial law late at night on December 3, Yoon sent hundreds of soldiers to the National Assembly, election offices and other sites. Special operations soldiers smashed windows at the assembly and scuffled with protesters, evoking traumatic memories of the country’s past military rules among many South Koreans.

Enough lawmakers, including some from the ruling party, managed to enter the assembly to vote down Yoon’s decree unanimously.

Some senior military and police officers sent to the assembly testified Yoon ordered them to drag out lawmakers to block the vote on his decree or to detain his political rivals. Yoon says the troops were deployed to the assembly simply to maintain order.

Yoon, 64, a conservative, was impeached by the National Assembly on December 14. The assembly accused him of violating the constitution and other laws by suppressing assembly activities, attempting to detain politicians, and undermining peace across the country.

In his final testimony at the Constitutional Court hearing, Yoon said his decree was a desperate attempt to draw public support of his fight against the “wickedness” of the Democratic Party, which had obstructed his agenda, impeached top officials and slashed the government’s budget bill. He earlier called the National Assembly “a den of criminals” and “anti-state forces.”

The Constitutional Court ruled Yoon infringed upon the Assembly’s right to demand martial law be lifted, the freedom of political party activities and the neutrality of the military. It also said Yoon’s political impasse with the opposition wasn’t the type of emergency situation that required martial law and that Yoon’s decree lacked required legal procedures such as deliberation by a formal Cabinet meeting.

Yoon still faces criminal charges

Yoon has been indicted on charges of rebellion in connection with his decree, a charge that carries the death penalty or a life sentence if convicted. He became the first South Korean president to be arrested or indicted while in office.

Yoon was released from jail in March after a Seoul district court ruled he did not have to be detained during that trial process.

His removal from office also costs Yoon the presidential immunity that protected him from most criminal prosecutions. This means he could face other criminal charges, such as abuse of power, in connection with his martial law decree, some observers say. (AP)

Hot this week

Meghalaya man missing in Bangkok

Shillong, Jan 10: A 57-year-old Meghalaya resident, Mr. Treactchell...

Pay hike of Assam ministers, MLAs likely as 3-member panel submits report

Full report likely by Oct 30 Guwahati Sept 25: There...

ANSAM rejects Kuki’s separate administration demand, says bifurcation not acceptable

Guwahati, Sept 8: Rejecting the separate administration demand of...

Meghalaya Biological Park Inaugurated After 25 Years: A New Chapter in Conservation and Education

Shillong, Nov 28: Though it took nearly 25 years...

Meghalaya’s historic fiber paves the way for eco-friendly products and sustainable livelihoods

By Roopak Goswami Shillong, Oct 25: From making earbuds to...

POEM-4 re-enters Earth’s atmosphere: ISRO

Bengaluru, Apr 5: ISRO on Friday said the fourth...

HC upholds repeal of varsity Act

Shillong, Apr 5: The Meghalaya High Court on Friday...

Over 13,000 ST students get post matric scholarships

Shillong, Apr 5: Over 13,000 Schedule Tribe (ST) students...

Approach life as a ‘marathon’, Conrad tells IIM graduates

Shillong, Apr 5: Chief minister Conrad K Sangma has...

More villages to be adopted as ‘textile hubs’: Paul

Shillong, Apr 5: The state government has taken an...

LSG beat MI by 12 runs: Pandya’s maiden five-wicket haul in T20 cricket goes in vain

Lucknow, Apr 4: Hardik Pandya's maiden five-wicket haul in...

7 dead as tractor falls into deep well

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Apr 4: Seven women farm labourers, two...

PM Modi meets Yunus, flags concerns over safety of minorities in B’desh

Bangkok, Apr 4: In his first meeting with Bangladesh's...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img