South Korean court strips president of all power - how did we get here?

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Celebrations broke out among Yoon Suk Yeol’s detractors in Seoul after the constitutional court voted to uphold his impeachment and remove him from office.
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The South Korean court said in its unanimous ruling on Friday that the then president’s declaration of martial law in December “violated” the country’s constitution, including mobilising military and police forces to obstruct “the national assembly’s exercise of its authority”.

“[Yoon] committed a grave betrayal of the people’s trust who are the sovereign members of the democratic republic,” the acting chief justice Moon Hyung-bae said delivering the ruling, adding that Yoon’s declaration created chaos in all areas of society, the economy and foreign policy.

The ruling means that the acting president, Han Duck-soo, will remain in office until South Koreans elect a new leader within sixty days.

While anti-Yoon protesters were elated by the decision – many celebrating and in tears – media reports said some of his supporters had started damaging police vehicles near the court building.

Yoon, who was not in court for the ruling, cannot appeal and must now turn his attention to a separate criminal trial – linked to his martial law declaration – on charges of insurrection.

A Gallup Korea poll released last week showed 60% of South Koreans said Yoon should be permanently removed from office. His opponents have accused the former prosecutor of abusing his presidential powers in an attempt to suspend democratic institutions and take the country back into its dark authoritarian past.

What have been the key moments leading up to this moment? Watch this video to learn more, and to find out about what comes next head to the link in bio.

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