South Korea Court Upholds Yoon Impeachment — Constitutional Crisis Deepens | Media Hook
Breaking — Asia Pacific South Korea Court Upholds Yoon Impeachment, Triggering Snap Presidential Election presidential election that could reshape the country’s trajectory on democracy, foreign policy, and the economy. The 8-0 ruling — unprecedented in South Korean history — removes Yoon from office immediately. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who has been serving as acting president since Yoon’s initial impeachment vote in December, will continue in that role until the election, scheduled within 60 days. Outside the court’s building in Seoul, thousands of supporters of both sides gathered. Police deployed water cannons after minor altercations broke out between pro-impeachment demonstrators and Yoon’s loyalists. No serious injuries were reported. The case centred on Yoon’s abrupt imposition of martial law on December 3, 2025 — the first such declaration in South Korea since the 1970s. The Constitutional Court found that Yoon violated the constitution by declaring emergency rule without legitimate justification, suspending the National Assembly, and ordering military personnel to barricade the parliament building. Yoon, who addressed the nation briefly after the ruling, said he accepted the court’s decision “with humility.” His legal team is exploring whether to challenge the ruling on procedural grounds, though legal analysts consider an appeal unlikely to succeed. The snap election is expected to be contested between the main opposition Democratic Party, whose leader Lee Jae-myung has topped polling for months, and the People Power Party, Yoon’s own party, which is now fractured. The PPP’s interim leader Han Gwandoon said his party would “unify around a candidate who can restore stability and trust.” The impeachment fallout has already affected regional relations. South Korea’s military has maintained heightened readiness on the divided peninsula, with North Korea watching closely. Japan’s government issued a statement calling for “continued stability on the Korean Peninsula,” while the United States said it was monitoring the situation and remained committed to the alliance. Financial markets reacted cautiously. The Korean won held steady against the dollar, and the KOSPI index dipped 0.8 percent in early trading before recovering. Analysts said investors were relieved the uncertainty had been resolved, but warned that political fragmentation could complicate economic governance ahead of the election. The court’s ruling caps a remarkable eight-month period in which South Korea endured two impeachment votes, mass protests, and a near-martial law crisis that drew international alarm and comparisons to earlier periods of military rule. Observers say the outcome marks a pivotal test for South Korea’s young democracy.
