Yoon Suk Yeol, who was temporarily suspended from office in December for declaring martial law in South Korea, has been officially removed from office by the Constitutional Court. In its announcement, the Constitutional Court stated that Yoon’s declaration of martial law did not meet the “national crisis” condition specified in the constitution, deeming it unconstitutional. The Court also mentioned that Yoon violated the law by sending troops to the National Assembly to prevent the rejection of the decision following the declaration of martial law. Therefore, by accepting the impeachment request of the National Assembly, the Constitutional Court approved Yoon’s removal from office due to the declaration of martial law. Following the impeachment decision, Yoon was immediately removed from office, and the country will hold a presidential election within 60 days. Martial Law Declaration President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on the night of December 3, 2024, citing “opposition involvement in anti-government activities.” However, he reversed this decision after the legislature voted to lift the martial law and it was approved by the Cabinet. On December 14, 2024, when Yoon was impeached in a vote in the National Assembly, he was temporarily suspended from office until the Constitutional Court issued its ruling. Apart from the impeachment case, Yoon was arrested on January 15 as part of a criminal investigation into the declaration of martial law, becoming the first president in the country’s history to be arrested. Yoon was subsequently arrested on January 19 on charges of “leading an insurrection” and “abusing power,” and the South Korean Prosecution Office filed an indictment against him on January 26. Yoon was released on March 8 after the Seoul Central District Court revoked his detention and allowed him to stand trial without physical detention. Impeachment Process In South Korea, for the impeachment of a president, the impeachment proposal submitted to the National Assembly must be approved by two-thirds of the members. For the impeachment of other politicians, a simple majority is sufficient. After the impeachment vote, the impeachment request is transferred to the Constitutional Court. The court has six months to hold a hearing to listen to and evaluate the evidence related to the impeachment process before deciding whether to approve or reject the impeachment request. If at least 6 of the 9 judges in the court approve the impeachment request, the leader is removed from office. Currently, there are 8 judges serving on the court. Yoon’s impeachment was requested by achieving a qualified majority in the National Assembly vote on December 14. Following the trial, Yoon’s removal from office by the Constitutional Court made him the second president to be removed from office in this manner after former President Park Geun-hye was impeached in 2017.