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Impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol

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Impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol
Reporters surrounding Woo with cameras as he signs the article of impeachment
Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won-shik signing the article of impeachment after its passage in the National Assembly, 14 December 2024
The Constitutional Court chamber. At the center of the bench in the back of the chamber, Moon is speaking.
Acting President of the Constitutional Court Moon Hyung-bae (center) announcing the court decision removing Yoon from office, 4 April 2025
AccusedYoon Suk Yeol, 13th president of South Korea
Date
  • Since initial motion:
  • 4 December 2024 – 4 April 2025 (2024-12-04 – 2025-04-04)
  • Yoon's power suspension:
  • 14 December 2024 – 4 April 2025 (2024-12-14 – 2025-04-04)
Charges
  • Violation of principle of popular sovereignty[1]
  • Obstruction of the exercise of rights
  • Obstruction of the performance of official duties
  • Abuse of power
  • Sedition
CauseDeclaration of martial law
National Assembly votes
First impeachment motion
7 December 2024
Present
195 / 300 (65%)
Not voting
105 / 300 (35%)
ResultImpeachment unsuccessful
Second impeachment motion
14 December 2024
Votes in favor
204 / 300 (68%)
Votes against
85 / 300 (28%)
ResultImpeachment successful
  • Yoon's presidential powers and duties were suspended for the duration of the impeachment trial
  • Prime Minister Han Duck-soo becomes acting president
Decision by Constitutional Court of Korea
4 April 2025
Votes in favor
8 / 8 (100%)
Votes against
0 / 8 (0%)
ResultImpeachment upheld
  • Yoon removed from office; snap presidential election to be held on 3 June 2025
  • Han continues as acting president until the new president is elected
  • Yoon disqualified from holding public office in South Korea for five years
National Assembly: 2206448
Constitutional Court: 2024헌나8

On 14 December 2024, Yoon Suk Yeol, the president of South Korea, was impeached by the National Assembly. This came in response to Yoon's declaration of martial law on 3 December 2024, which was overturned by the National Assembly and officially ended six hours later on 4 December 2024.

Former prime minister Han Duck-soo became acting president until the Constitutional Court's decision on whether to remove Yoon from office. An earlier impeachment motion was put to a parliamentary vote on 7 December 2024 but failed because the number of attending legislators did not meet the needed number for it to pass.

This is the third impeachment of a South Korean president: Roh Moo-hyun was impeached in 2004 but acquitted by the Constitutional Court, while Park Geun-hye was impeached in 2016 and convicted and removed from office in 2017 after the Constitutional Court's confirmation.

On 31 December, the Seoul Western District Court issued an arrest warrant for Yoon with charges relating to abuse of power, and orchestrating the 2024 South Korean martial law crisis.[2]

On 4 April 2025, an eight-judge Constitutional Court supported Yoon's impeachment, formally removing him from office.[3][4] This made him the shortest-serving president in South Korea's democratic history.[5]

References

[change | change source]
  1. ↑ 안정훈 (12 December 2024). [전문] 野6당 발의 2차 '윤석열 대통령 탄핵소추안'. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  2. ↑ Kim, Seung-yeon (2024-12-31). "Court issues warrant to detain impeached President Yoon in martial law probe". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2024-12-31.
  3. ↑ Kim, Stella; Jett, Jennifer (April 3, 2025). "South Korean court upholds President Yoon's impeachment over martial law order". NBC News. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  4. ↑ Teo, Wendy (April 4, 2025). "South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ousted". The Straits Times.
  5. ↑ https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/04/03/asia/yoon-impeachment-verdict-south-korea-intl-hnk. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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