BREAKING: The South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Has Been Impeached
On the 4th of April, the Constitutional Court ruled unanimously to dismiss former President Yoon Suk Yeol from office.
During the sentencing session at the Grand Court Chamber on this day, the court declared at 11:22 a.m., “We dismiss the respondent, President Yoon Suk Yeol, from office.”
The Constitutional Court stated, “The constitutional benefit gained by dismissing the respondent is deemed to far outweigh the national loss that comes with dismissing a president,” and added, “Thus, the order is declared with unanimous agreement of all justices.”
The Constitutional Court found all the grounds for the impeachment — including procedural flaws in declaring martial law, deploying military and police forces against the National Assembly, issuing unconstitutional and illegal emergency decrees, raiding the National Election Commission, and attempts to track the whereabouts of legal professionals — to be illegal.
On whether these unconstitutional and illegal acts were serious enough for dismissal, the court stated, “These actions deny the principles of a rule-of-law state and a democratic nation, violating the constitutional order itself and seriously endangering the stability of the democratic republic. By exercising powers beyond those constitutionally granted to a president, trust in the exercise of presidential authority was undermined.”
The court also pointed out that Yoon “violated the constitution and laws by declaring martial law, shocking the public and causing confusion in society, economy, politics, and diplomacy. he breached his duty as the president of all people to unite the social community beyond those who support him.”
As a result, the court declared again that “the constitutional benefit of dismissing the respondent is deemed to far outweigh the national loss that comes with dismissing a president,” and issued its unanimous decision.
Following the court’s ruling, Yoon was officially removed from the presidency at 11:22 a.m. According to Article 71 of the Constitution, the Prime Minister will act as interim president, and a presidential election must be held within 60 days.
Source: (A)
