South Korea to head to the polls after President Yoon is ousted

Court rules that his martial law declaration on Dec 3 is 'unlawful and unconstitutional'

- Wendy Teo

SEOUL - South Korea will head into a presidential election within 60 days, with President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment being upheld by the Constitutional Court on April 4.

According to the country's Constitution, a new president must be elected within this time limit after the incumbent's impeachment is confirmed.

Both cheers of jubilation and cries of anguish could be heard from anti-Yoon demonstrators and the President's supporters gathered near the court in central Seoul when the verdict was announced in a live broadcast.

The unanimous ruling by the eight justices stripped Yoon, 65, of his presidential powers with immediate effect.

At a press conference after the delivery of the verdict, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik urged South Koreans to "come together with mutual respect", as "there are no political sides, no religious divisions and no generational gaps when concerning the future of the country".

"Hatred, hostility, exclusion and violence must be firmly rejected. This is the only way to protect our community and begin unity," he said.

Yoon had plunged South Korea into political chaos when he declared martial law in the late hours of Dec 3, 2024, only to be forced to overturn his decision by the country's National Assembly a few hours later.

Lawmakers even had to scale the walls of the National Assembly that was blocked under Yoon's orders, in order to vote to overturn the martial law decree.

On Dec 14, South Korean lawmakers voted to impeach Yoon and suspend him from his presidential duties, accusing him of violating the Constitution with his martial law decree, which they said should be reserved for national emergencies or times of war.