In a historic and turbulent turn of events, the Constitutional Court of South Korea has unanimously upheld the National Assembly’s impeachment of President Yoon Suk-Yeol, officially removing him from office. The verdict, delivered on April 4, comes four months after Yoon’s widely condemned decision to impose martial law in December 2024-a move that sent shockwaves through the country and prompted an immediate political reckoning.

The court’s ruling marks the second time in South Korea’s democratic history that a sitting president has been removed through impeachment, echoing the ouster of President Park Geun-hye in 2017. But Yoon’s case is arguably more dramatic, involving an attempted use of military power against democratic institutions and allegations of inciting an insurrection.

On December 3, 2024, Yoon declared a state of emergency and imposed martial law, citing alleged plots by the opposition to orchestrate a rebellion. He accused several lawmakers of colluding with North Korean agents and undermining the state. The move was immediately met with skepticism and resistance from across the political spectrum, with many calling it a thinly veiled power grab.

The military, rather than complying with the directive, refused to enforce the order. Parliament, led by both opposition and moderate members of Yoon’s own party, quickly overruled the decree. Just weeks later, on December 17, the National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon. The president was formally arrested on January 15, 2025, after he lost executive immunity.

At the heart of the crisis was Yoon’s use of state power to suppress opposition voices. Documents leaked by whistleblowers suggested that surveillance had been conducted on political rivals in the weeks leading up to the martial law order. Several senior military leaders confirmed that they........

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