South Korean Court Rules Removal Of Yoon Suk Yeol From Office (X image @art____tra)
Seoul, South Korea: The constitutional court of South Korea unanimously voted to remove impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol from the office. The court said in its ruing that Yoon’s declaration of martial law in December “violated” the country’s constitution. Acting President Han Duck-soo will remain in the office until a new President is elected within the next 60 days.
Yoon “did not merely declare martial law, but went on to commit acts that violated the constitution and the law, including mobilising military and police forces to obstruct the national assembly’s exercise of its authority”, acting chief justice Moon Hyung-bae said while delivering the ruling.
“We hereby pronounce the following ruling, with the unanimous agreement of all justices. [We] dismiss respondent President Yoon Suk Yeol,” the court said.
Yoon violated his duty as South Korean commander-in-chief by mobilising troops, said Moon. He also added that it is difficult to see South Korean opposition’s actions as a severe national crisis to justify Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration.
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Yoon’s party, People Power, said it accepts the verdict. “It is regrettable, but the People Power party solemnly accepts and humbly respects the constitutional court’s decision…We extend our sincere apology to the people”, AFP quoted legislator Kwon Young-se as saying.
Reportedly, celebrations broke out among Yoon Suk Yeol’s detractors in Seoul after the court’s verdict.
The long period in taking decision to remove Yoon from office has made the atmosphere fragile. Opponents have held large rallies. However, an unprecedented amount of police presence prevented protestors from getting immediate access to the vicinity of the court building. Reportedly, at least, 14,000 police had been deployed in the capital in anticipation of possible violence, irrespective of what the court has ruled.
As per media report, riot police had gathered expecting the worst and were ready with backpacks of pepper spray. Huge barricades and police walls were set up across the neighbourhood.
South Korea remembers the removal of Park Geun-hye from the office eight years ago, which took lives of four South Koreans. The recent storming of Yoon supporters into the court room also prompted for heavy security deployment in the vicinity. At the same time, Yoon’s supporters were largely absent from the vicinity.
Also Read: South Korean Authorities Suspend Attempts To Arrest Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol After Standoff
Acting President Han said, “there are no gaps in national security and diplomacy and to maintain public safety and order until the vote”. Speaking in a televised address, he said, “Respecting 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”.
Yoon imposed martial law in South Korea, plunging the country into political crisis. As per Yoon’s claim, impose martial law was an attempt to prevent “anti-state” opposition forces with North Korean sympathies from destroying the country. He was forced to lift the decree within six hours of imposing it as lawmakers defied efforts by security forces to seal off parliament and voted to reject it.
Yoon Suk Yeol is the second South Korean president to be removed from office through impeachment after Park Geun-hye in 2017. If found guilty in his criminal trial, Yoon faces life imprisonment or the death penalty, though South Korea has not carried out an execution since the late 1990s.
