South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol impeached
4 April 2025
Almost four months to the day since South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, he has been removed from office, as the South Korea constitutional court unanimously upheld his impeachment. The Asia Media Centre has more - along with background on how the president got to this point.
An impeachment means Yoon will be immediately removed from the position of president and the country will now have to hold an election within 60 days. Currently, acting president Han Duck-soo will stay in the role until a new leader is elected.
Justice Moon Hyung-bae, acting chief justice of the Constitutional Court, said Yoon's implementation of martial law "violated the principles of the rule of law and democracy".
He went on to say that Yoon also violated his duty as commander-in-chief when he mobilised troops on December 3 to block off the National Assembly and that there was no national emergency situation that justified the declaration of martial law.
How did Yoon Suk Yeol get here?
Late on the night of December 3, 2024, South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol shocked the nation - and the world - with a declaration of martial law. At the time, he said it was needed to protect South Korea from "antistate forces".
Soon after, troops entered the grounds of parliament and set up barricades, sealing the National Assembly in an apparent attempt to prevent lawmakers from entering.
However, lawmakers from both sides of the political divide made it to parliament and voted unanimously to lift Yoon's martial law.
Over the weekend following Yoon's declaration, a first attempt to impeach the president was made but it ultimately failed after the vote was boycotted by a number of sitting MPs from Yoon's People Power Party.
However, a second motion successfully passed and the president was officially impeached on 14 December 2024.
On 31 December 2024, a South Korean court issued an arrest warrant for Yoon, after accusations of insurrection over his martial law declaration. This was the first such warrant issued for a currently sitting president. However, that arrest attempt failed - Yoon's security team met officers as they advanced on his residence and the attempt was halted.
Then on 15 January, another arrest attempt was made - this time successfully. Yoon failed to appear for the first hearing of his impeachment trial and more than 1100 police and investigators descended on the presidential residence to take him into custody. Yoon's security staff once again attempted to stop the attempt, but were unsuccessful.
Read more reporting from the Asia Media Centre:
Impeachment against South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol fails
Political Crisis Deepens in S. Korea
Yoon Suk Yeol Shakes the Foundations of South Korean Democracy
South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol arrested
South Korea’s Ongoing Political Crisis in 2025
Asia Media Centre
