SEOUL, South Korea (AP) 鈥� South Korea鈥檚 removed impeached from office on Friday, ending his tumultuous presidency and setting up an election to find a new leader, four months after he threw South Korean politics into turmoil with an ill-fated declaration of martial law.
The unanimous verdict capped a dramatic fall for Yoon, a former star prosecutor who went from political novice to president in 2022, just a year after he entered politics.
In a nationally televised verdict, the court鈥檚 acting chief Moon Hyung-bae said the eight-member bench upheld Yoon鈥檚 impeachment because his martial law decree seriously violated the constitution and other laws.
鈥淭he defendant not only declared martial law, but also violated the constitution and laws by mobilizing military and police forces to obstruct the exercise of legislative authority,鈥� Moon said, 鈥淯ltimately, the declaration of martial law in this case violated the substantive requirements for emergency martial law.鈥�
鈥淕iven the grave negative impact on constitutional order and the significant ripple effects of the defendant鈥檚 violations, we find that the benefits of upholding the constitution by removing the defendant from office far outweigh the national losses from the removal of a president,鈥� the justice concluded.
Protesters erupt in jubilation and sorrow
At an anti-Yoon rally near the old royal palace that dominates downtown Seoul, people erupted into tears and danced when the verdict was announced. Two women wept as they hugged and an old man near them leapt to his feet and screamed with joy.
The crowd later began marching through Seoul streets. Some people were dressed in cute blue bear costumes, a protest mascot that uses the opposition鈥檚 colors.
Outside Yoon's official residence, thousands of supporters cried and screamed when they saw the news of the verdict on a giant TV screen. They waved South Korean and U.S. flags and chanted slogans.
鈥淲e will absolutely not be shaken!鈥� a protest leader shouted on stage. 鈥淎nyone who accepts this ruling and prepares for an early presidential election is our enemy.鈥�
No major violence was immediately reported.
Korea faces an election with deep divisions
An election will be held within two months to replace Yoon, but a festering national divide over Yoon鈥檚 impeachment will likely continue and could complicate South Korea鈥檚 efforts to deal with President Donald Trump鈥檚 鈥淎merica First鈥� policies and North Korea鈥檚 expanding ties with Russia, observers say.
Yoon said in a statement issued via his defense team that he deeply regrets failing to live up to the public's expectations, but stopped short of explicitly accepting the verdict. There have been fears he would incite efforts to resist removal, as he earlier vowed to fight to the end.
He added that he will pray for the country and its people. 鈥淚t has been the greatest honor of my life to serve our nation,鈥� Yoon said.
Yoon鈥檚 ruling People Power Party said it would accept the decision, but one of Yoon鈥檚 lawyers, Yoon Kap-keun, called the ruling 鈥渃ompletely incomprehensible鈥� and a 鈥減ure political decision."
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country鈥檚 acting leader, vowed in a televised speech to ensure 鈥渢here are no gaps in national security and diplomacy鈥� and maintain public safety and order. Han was appointed prime minister, the country's No.2 official, by Yoon.
鈥淩especting the will of our sovereign people, I will do my utmost to manage the next presidential election in accordance with the constitution and the law, ensuring a smooth transition to the next administration,鈥� Han said.
Surveys show , leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favorite to win the by-election to choose Yoon's successor. Lee is facing trials for corruption and other charges.
Lee welcomed the ruling and credited the South Korean people for 鈥減rotecting our democratic republic.鈥�
鈥淭he courage of the people who stood in the face of guns, swords and tanks, along with the bravery of troops who refused to obey unjust orders, has led to this great revolution of light,鈥� Lee said.
Crisis started with a night of chaos four months ago
Martial law lasted only six hours, but left behind a political crisis, rattling financial markets and unsettling the country鈥檚 diplomatic partners. In January, Yoon was separately arrested and indicted by prosecutors on alleged rebellion in connection with his decree, a charge that carries the death penalty or a life sentence if convicted.
Under Yoon鈥檚 decree, the first of its kind in more than 40 years, , election offices and other sites. Special operations soldiers smashed windows at the National Assembly and scuffled with citizens gathered to protest, shocking South Koreans and evoking .
Enough lawmakers, including some from the ruling party, managed to enter the assembly to vote down his decree unanimously.
No major violence occurred during the brief period of martial law, but some senior military and police officers sent to the assembly have testified that Yoon ordered them to drag out lawmakers to block a vote on his decree or to detain his political rivals. Yoon says the troops were deployed to the assembly simply to maintain order.
Yoon, 64, a conservative, was . The assembly accused him of violating the constitution and other laws by suppressing assembly activities, attempting to detain politicians, and undermining peace across the country.
In his final testimony at the hearing, Yoon said his decree was a desperate attempt to draw public support of his fight against the 鈥渨ickedness鈥� of the , which had obstructed his agenda, impeached top officials and slashed the government鈥檚 budget bill. He earlier called the National Assembly 鈥渁 den of criminals鈥� and 鈥渁nti-state forces.鈥�
Yoon still faces criminal charges
Some experts say Yoon may have imposed military rule to head off a possible independent investigation into scandals involving his wife, Kim Keon Hee.
Without presidential immunity, Yoon could face other criminal charges, such as abuse of power. He鈥檚 the first South Korean president to be arrested or .
Yoon served as prosecutor-general under his predecessor, liberal President Moon Jae-in, before joining the now-ruling party in 2021 following disputes with Moon allies. A public image as strong-minded and uncompromising helped him defeat Lee in the close-fought 2022 presidential election. But after becoming president, Yoon has faced criticism that he refused to replace officials implicated in scandals and vetoed many bills passed by the assembly.
On foreign policy, Yoon pushed hard to bolster South Korea鈥檚 military alliance with the United States and overcome long-running disputes with Japan over historical traumas. He said that a greater Seoul-Washington-Tokyo security partnership is essential to coping with North Korea鈥檚 growing nuclear threats. Critics of Yoon accused him of unnecessarily provoking North Korea and neglecting relations with China, South Korea鈥檚 biggest trading partner.
Hyung-jin Kim And Kim Tong-hyung, The Associated Press
