Four months after surprising the world decreeing and unleashing the greatest political storm in decades, the Constitutional Court has unanimously issued His future this Friday: Yoon has been officially deposed as head of state. The ruling arrives after a tense hope he has kept the nation in suspense since mid -December, when the National Assembly (the Parliament) suspended Yoon of its functions, pending that the maximum constitutional guarantor at the national level issued a firm sentence. The political trial has further deepened the internal divisions in which one of the most solid democracies of Asia and traditional ally of the United States in the region is considered. Now, presidential elections must be held within a maximum period of 60 days. There have been cheers, applause, relief sighs and songs of “We have won!” Among Yoon’s detractors. The Popular Power Party, on the other hand, has expressed that it accepts “humbly” the verdict.
Yoon, 64, has not been present when the acting president of the Constitutional, Moon Hyung-Bae, has read the verdict. The lawyers consider that Yoon violated “the constitutional order” since the actions of the South Korean opposition do not constitute a national crisis serious enough to justify the statement of the state exception. Judge Moon has affirmed that Yoon also breached his duty as a commander in chief by mobilizing troops with the aim of preventing the revocation of martial law in the National Assembly.
The court had to determine the legality of the dismissal process and if Yoon had violated the Constitution when he announced the state of exception, which would justify his cessation. He was accused of the crimes of abuse of power, sedition, violation of the principle of popular sovereignty, hindering the performance of official functions and obstruction of the exercise of rights. The eight magistrates have been reviewing the case and evaluating their legitimacy. This Friday, after 11 sessions, they have corroborated the decision of the National Assembly.
The view, which has been televised, lasted just 25 minutes. At least six votes were needed so that impeachment He went ahead, who has finally done it unanimously. Thus, Yoon has become the second president in the history of South Korea ceased after a political trial. The first was, in 2017, of the country in decades.
This Friday’s decision is a turning point in an institutional crisis that has shaken the foundations of the fourth Asian economy. As expected, the news has caused immediate reactions throughout the country. Although at first the supporters of the former president have expressed his anger, accusing the constitutional of giving in to the political pressure, already in the afternoon – by the morning during the Spanish peninsular schedule -, they have canceled a concentration that they planned to celebrate in the presidential residence. Meanwhile, the opposition celebrates what a victory of justice considers. The tensions between both blocks have been palpable in these months. Millions of people have demonstrated since December and against the former president. Although, according to the surveys, a majority of citizens wanted Yoon’s cessation, that support had decreased since the first days after the declaration of martial law. A Korea Gallup survey published a week ago indicated that 60% of respondents believed that it should be separated from the position; In December, 73.6% of voters asked for it.
Police estimate that 100,000 people could take the streets on this day and have reinforced security measures. It has installed barricades and deployed about 14,000 troops throughout Seoul, in addition to the special forces. The prime minister, have Duck-Soon, had urged politicians to “show a responsible attitude” and “not to make polarized statements that could incite violence.”
On the night of December 3, 2024 ,. Although there were no clear indications of armed conflict or national crisis to resort to such action, as the judges have estimated, He justified the decision accusing the opposition of controlling parliament and paralyzing his government, exercising antistatal activities and sympathizing with North Korea. Six hours later, he announced that he retired. By then, the Assembly had already revoked the measure in an extraordinary vote, held at dawn and without all the deputies present, while some 300 agents tried to access the hemicycle to interrupt the session. In the trial, some military testified that they followed the orders of the Head of the State, who ordered them to stop their political opponents.
The imposition of martial law for the first time since 1980 on which a dark military past weighs. In addition, the references to the hermetic neighbor of the north put on guard the capitals of the entire planet since, technically, the two Koreas remain at war despite the armistice of 1953.
The images of politicians struggling with soldiers around the world, while thousands of protesters threw themselves into the streets of Seoul. In later days, those who supported Yoon, convinced that his actions were necessary to restore order, and those who accused him of directly attempting against democracy. Since then, the tension has only increased and distanced – even more if possible – to the two main political parties, the ruling party of Popular Power (PPP) and the Democratic Party (PD).
Yoon has been, but the final decision on his political future corresponded to the Constitutional Court. Yoon, former attorney general of the country ,. In his final allegation before the judges, he said that he decreed the martial law in a “desperate attempt” to deal with the opposition, which he accused of undermining his government without rest thanks to the most parliamentary. He also said that he never intended to block the assembly and did not order the arrest of political leaders. According to its version of the facts, the deployment of the troops sought to “inform citizens about the dangerous behavior” of Parliament.
In addition to this political trial, in which he is accused of conspiring to incite an insurrection with the former Minister of Defense, Kim Yong-Hyun, and other allies. In South Korea, the crime of rebellion is punished with life imprisonment or capital punishment, although there is a moratorium on the latter since 1997.. The arrest, the first of a leader in exercise in South Korean democratic history (technically, was), took place after days showing resistance in their residence, while the authorities tried to execute the arrest warrant and thousands of their followers congregated to show their backing. , he said then. Experts believe that the verdict issued by the Constitutional this morning will negatively influence Yoon in this other case.
The future that opens now for a country that has been plunged into a confusing political polarization is uncertain. Conservatives must choose a candidate as soon as possible and look for a clear address to advance and turn page. The electoral process seems to be at odds, although it is emerging as a favorite to win the presidential career Lee Jae-Myung, the head of the opposition Democratic Party. Lee, a controversial figure that has also had pending causes with justice, has recently adopted a more moderate position in order to attract voters from center and undecided. However, in case of winning, the political polarization in which South Korea is mired could limit its ability to govern effectively.
The lack of stable leadership has seriously affected the country’s foreign relations, especially ties with the United States. A clear example is that, on the agenda of Donald Trump, it is more present to meet with Kim Jong-un than with the new South Korean leader. The absence of a president has eroded direct interaction with Washington, fundamental to negotiate with the Trump administration. South Korea has recently been beaten with a battery of American tariffs that affect key sectors such as semiconductors, in addition to those announced on the eve, 26%.
