South Korea’s Constitutional Court has officially removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, ending months of political uncertainty. This decision follows his controversial declaration of martial law in December. On Friday, the court confirmed the impeachment vote passed by parliament late last year.

Yoon’s removal is effective immediately, and he must leave the presidential residence. According to the law, a new general election must be held within 60 days to choose the next president. A group of eight judges all agreed that Yoon's decision to declare martial law was against the Constitution. Acting Chief Judge Moon Hyung-bae explained that Yoon went beyond his legal powers by skipping the proper procedures and using the military against lawmakers. The court said there was no serious national emergency to justify such drastic action, and that Yoon’s move violated both the democratic system and the rights of the people.

Yoon was first arrested in January on charges of insurrection, but in March, a court cancelled his arrest warrant, and he was released. However, the charges against him still stand, meaning he could still face serious legal consequences, including a possible life sentence. The public reaction to Yoon’s removal has been very mixed. Outside the court, opposition parties and critics celebrated the decision.

At the same time, conservative supporters protested near the presidential residence, unhappy with the outcome. Yoon’s sudden fall from power is especially surprising because of his past. Before becoming president, he was a well-known prosecutor who played a major role in the impeachment and jailing of former President Park Geun-hye in 2017. Ironically, Yoon has now faced the same outcome—he’s only the second South Korean president to be removed by the Constitutional Court.

Yoon narrowly won the 2022 presidential election, beating Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung. Yoon got 48.56% of the vote, while Lee received 47.83%, making it the closest election in South Korea’s history. Before taking office on May 10, 2022, Yoon made his first big decision as president—to set up his office in the Ministry of National Defense building in Seoul instead of the traditional Blue House. His time as president first drew international attention because of his close relationship with Washington.

In 2023, he was invited to a state dinner at the White House by then-US President Joe Biden, where he gained worldwide attention for singing “American Pie”—a moment that quickly went viral. Although the event was meant to celebrate US–South Korea relations, some critics felt it was just a way to distract from more serious issues at home.

He lost public support after trying to introduce unpopular policies like increasing the maximum number of working hours per week, setting rules on minimum wage, taking a strong anti-feminist stance, and trying to give the government more control over the police. These moves sparked protests. A lot of the criticism toward Yoon also came because of his wife, Kim Keon Hee, who was accused of receiving expensive gifts. Yoon was removed from office after months of political deadlock between his government and the opposition-led parliament.

On December 3, 2024, he declared martial law, but it lasted only six hours before being cancelled. Many saw this move as an attempt to shut down the National Assembly and silence opposition lawmakers. Yoon defended his decision by saying the political situation was stuck and claiming there were threats from so-called “anti-state forces” connected to North Korea. However, military leaders later revealed they were ordered to physically remove lawmakers from parliament—a move many criticised as an illegal attempt to grab power.

Even though Yoon reversed his decision, he couldn't bounce back politically. His impeachment led to a bigger political crisis, with the parliament also voting to remove both his prime minister and the acting president. This is a crucial time for South Korea as the country gets ready for elections. One of the main people who could replace Yoon is opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost the 2022 presidential race.

At the same time, Yoon is still facing legal troubles, including a trial for insurrection. Although South Korea hasn’t carried out an execution in many years, the most serious punishment for insurrection is either life in prison or the death penalty.