A South Korean constitutional court is set to deliver a verdict on Friday on the fate of President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was impeached by the parliament in December for allegedly violating the constitution by declaring a state of emergency without a legitimate reason.
According to Reuters, the court’s decision will be announced live during the session and at least six of the nine judges must agree on the outcome. Currently, one member of the court is missing.
Yoon was impeached on December 14, 2023, after the opposition accused him of disregarding his constitutional duties by declaring a state of emergency without a legitimate reason. Yoon, however, claimed he did not intend to impose a long-term state of emergency, but rather wanted to sound the alarm and rally the public against state enemies and sympathizers of North Korea within the opposition ranks.
The opposition party has accused Yoon of using the state of emergency to suppress political dissent and consolidate power, while Yoon has accused the opposition of sympathizing with North Korea and plotting a rebellion.
The wait for the court’s decision has led to a standoff between the opposition parties, with Yoon’s ruling party demanding his reinstatement and the opposition insisting that his return would be a blow to the country’s constitutional order.
The public has also become increasingly divided, with large crowds gathering in the streets for and against Yoon’s impeachment, according to the news agency. The police are preparing for possible unrest after the verdict is announced, with around 14,000 police officers to be deployed in Seoul, Yonhap reported and all available police forces put on high alert.
A recent Gallup Korea poll showed that 60% of respondents support Yoon’s impeachment, while 34% are against it. If Yoon is impeached, new presidential elections must be held within 60 days.
This is the latest in a series of high-profile impeachments in South Korean history, with the most recent one being in 2017, when President Park Geun-hye was impeached and new elections were held.
Yoon is also facing charges of high treason, accused of inciting a rebellion by declaring the state of emergency. He could face the death penalty or a life sentence, although South Korea has not carried out an execution since 1997.
As the suspended president, Yoon still enjoys immunity from prosecution, but this does not extend to charges of inciting a rebellion or high treason.
The surprise declaration of the state of emergency on December 3, 2024, lasted only six hours, but it sparked a political crisis, with lawmakers, including some from Yoon’s own party, breaking through the security cordon around the parliament and calling on the president to lift the emergency.
After the parliament voted in favor of the impeachment, Yoon was suspended from his duties as president.