South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol Impeached for Declaring Martial Law

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was impeached by the country’s Constitutional Court on Friday after an impeachment motion, passed by the National Assembly in December, was unanimously upheld by the eight acting justices, as per Al Jazeera.

The impeachment, stemming from President Yoon’s brief declaration of martial law, forces him to step down, triggering a snap presidential election to be held within the next 60 days.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Seoul’s historic Jongno District prior to the verdict, expressing their anticipation and certainty of the outcome with loudspeakers blaring “8-0,” referencing the expected unanimous decision by the Constitutional Court.

Ahead of the announcement, the neighborhood of Anguk, where the court is located, was heavily secured with hundreds of police buses. More than 14,000 police officers were deployed throughout Seoul, and businesses and schools near Anguk station were closed due to concerns about potential disturbances. Near Gyeongbokgung Palace on Thursday, a student organization held what sounded like a celebratory band performance as they awaited the impeachment verdict, which was expected to end the four-month political deadlock.

The Constitutional Court ruling comes after a prolonged deliberation of 38 days. President Yoon had been suspended from office in December. Two acting presidents have served since then, as Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, first in line for the presidency, was also impeached by the National Assembly before ultimately being reinstated last month.

The impeachment proceedings revolved around accusations that President Yoon had broken the law by declaring martial law, drafting a martial law decree, deploying troops to the National Assembly, raiding the National Election Commission, and allegedly attempting to arrest politicians. The core issue was Yoon’s actions on December 3, which were criticized as an attempt to “suspend the constitutional government, freeze all political activities, and replace the National Assembly with a substitute force,” according to Chung Tae-ho, a professor specializing in constitutional law at Kyung Hee University.

The forthcoming snap presidential election will determine the country’s next leader and direction following this unprecedented political crisis.