South Korea’s Constitutional Court will rule on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment Friday, months after he was suspended for imposing martial control.
Yoon’s attempt to subvert civilian authority on December 3 resulted in political pandemonium in South Korea, when he sent armed soldiers into parliament.
Lawmakers ignored the army by voting down the measure and impeached Yoon shortly after, but months of political unrest have harmed South Korea’s economy and left the country in leadership limbo, even as US President Donald Trump imposes tariffs.
The court convened weeks of impeachment proceedings to decide whether to officially remove Yoon from office, and then spent weeks to deliberate on the matter, sparking speculation that the justices were in deep disagreement.
To remove Yoon from office, at least six of the court’s eight justices must vote in support.
Confirmation of his impeachment would precipitate elections, which must be held within 60 days.
Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans have been rallying for and against Yoon every weekend in central Seoul.
Yoon, a former prosecutor, was detained in January on insurrection charges but was released in early March on procedural grounds. He has remained defiant throughout and blamed a “malicious” opposition.
He is also the first sitting South Korean president to stand trial in a criminal case, facing charges of insurrection over the martial law bid.
Yoon’s party said it welcomed the court’s move to issue a ruling, saying it hoped the verdict would be “fair and impartial” and would not lead to further social unrest.
If the Constitutional Court decides to formally dismiss the president, it would trigger elections, which opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is currently frontrunner to win.
