South Korea’s Constitutional Court has commenced proceedings for the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was suspended following his declaration of martial law, which led to significant political unrest in the country.
Last Saturday, MPs voted to impeach Yoon after his actions triggered widespread protests demanding his resignation.
The court now has six months to decide whether to remove Yoon from office or reinstate him.
Yoon’s ruling party, the People Power Party (PPP), has been dealing with the aftermath, with its leader announcing his resignation on Monday. Although public hearings for Yoon’s impeachment may take months, the court faces pressure to make a quick decision and resolve the political uncertainty. Protesters have pledged to continue their calls for Yoon’s removal throughout the trial.
In the two previous instances of South Korean presidential impeachment, the court reversed one ruling and upheld the other.
Observers note that Yoon’s trial is complicated by the fact that the court currently has only six justices out of nine, as three justices recently retired and have not yet been replaced.
If the court upholds the impeachment, South Korea will be required to hold new presidential elections within 60 days. In the meantime, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is serving as acting president.
It remains uncertain whether Yoon will testify in court.
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He ignored a summons to meet with prosecutors in Seoul on Sunday and is expected to be ordered to appear again for questioning. If he fails to comply this week, police may seek to arrest him.
Yoon has defended his decision to impose martial law, reiterating after his impeachment that he would continue to fight until the end.
Shortly after the Constitutional Court’s session began on Monday morning, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon announced his resignation.
“I sincerely apologise to all the people who are suffering from this emergency situation,” Han said during a televised press conference.
Han has faced increasing pressure to resign, particularly from the pro-Yoon faction within his party, following the president’s impeachment.
Initially, Han had sought to orchestrate a smooth departure for Yoon. However, after Yoon’s defiant speech, Han reversed his stance and called for the president’s impeachment, stating it was the only way to put a stop to him.
On Saturday, 12 PPP lawmakers voted in favor of impeachment, allowing the motion to pass. However, the majority of other PPP lawmakers voted against it.
After the vote, all five members of the PPP’s Supreme Council announced they would resign, leading to the automatic dissolution of the party’s leadership.
With the Supreme Council effectively “destroyed,” Han said it had become “impossible” for him to continue in his role as party leader.
“While it pains me to think of my heartbroken supporters, I don’t regret it,” Han said, referring to his decision to call for Yoon’s impeachment.
