South Korea’s Constitutional Court unanimously upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday 4 April 2025 for declaring short-term martial law in December.[1] Thus, Yoon, who took office in 2022, was dismissed with this judgement, which was supported by all judges of the court, and a new election process was initiated. In a hearing shown on national television, Moon Hyung-bae, the interim president of the court, said that the eight-member panel found Yoon’s actions unconstitutional and therefore had serious implications.
Yoon was impeached by the opposition-controlled National Assembly in mid-December for violating the Constitution and laws by declaring martial law on 3 December, sending troops to the National Assembly to prevent lawmakers from voting on the decree, and ordering the arrest of politicians.[2] This situation led society into turmoil. Yoon also brought back the example of the state’s abuse of emergency decrees by declaring martial law in violation of the Constitution.
In 1979, when the President of South Korea, Park Chung-hee, was assassinated, he was replaced by General Chun Doo-hwan, using his power within the army to prevent political instability in the country. Chun declared martial law in order to consolidate his power, but this further increased the reaction of the people. On 18-27 May 1980, the Gwanju Uprising broke out and the military forces led by Chun suppressed this uprising. This incident, in which thousands of people lost their lives, undermined the legitimacy of Chun’s rule. In 1987, when popular movements and student protests increased, Chun was replaced by Roh Tae-woo. This event was an important step in the democratization process of South Korea. Later in 1996, Chun was sentenced to death for the Gwanju massacre and corruption offences but was commuted to life imprisonment and forgiven a year later.
Currently, an election for a new president to replace Yoon will be organized within two months and the country’s interim leader, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, has promised to ensure public safety and maintain order in the meantime. Polls indicate that Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is a favored candidate in the upcoming by-elections. Lee is known for his domestic rhetoric of reducing income inequality and increasing social welfare and has consolidated public support with his promised economic reforms. During his Gyeonggi governorship, he attracted attention with his public projects. In foreign policy, it is thought that he will adopt a more balanced and dialogue-oriented approach.
Yoon’s impeachment demonstrated the effectiveness of democratic oversight mechanisms in South Korea and the people of South Korea have given an important lesson in the path of democracy. Although the parliament retains the legislative power and has the authority to oversee the decisions of the president, debates on the presidential system have emerged. The limits and risks of the presidential system and constitutional reforms have been on the agenda. Furthermore, despite the fact that the progress of the process within a legal framework reinforced the hopes for democracy, there was a polarization between Yoon’s supporters and opponents. While the opposition and opponents of Yoon saw the declaration of martial law as a threat to democracy, his supporters defended his strong leadership and his efforts to pursue harsh policies for the development of the country. Public anxiety and distrust emerged, but this situation was supervised and controlled through legal processes.
Yoon claims that he declared martial law in order to “protect and stabilize the functioning of the state”. However, considering the constitution and the principles of democracy, this move is considered as “abuse of office”. While Yoon wanted to solve political problems and protect his own administration, he resorted to a harsh and risky way. Regardless of his intentions, since the practice violated the constitutional order, this incident has left an irreversible impact on South Korean history as a warning.
To conclude, Yoon’s impeachment emphasizes the importance of functioning democratic institutions and mechanisms based on the rule of law in South Korea. Although Yoon declared martial law in order to stabilize the country, his harsh policies contradicted the will of the people and democratic norms. Thus, while trying to consolidate its power in domestic politics, it encountered public reactions and institutional resistance. The use of force and repression also undermined public confidence.
Yoon’s impeachment after the declaration of martial law not only underlined democratic values by reminding the political structures of the past (authoritarian tendencies and constitutional violations during the Chun era), but also became a turning point that would lead to the shaping of the country’s domestic politics in a more transparent structure of the stability of the balance of power, social reconciliation and the rule of law. Thus, the critical role of security-oriented strategies in the balance of power in domestic democratization processes has been demonstrated.
[1] “Constitutional Court upholds Yoon’s impeachment, removes him from office”, Yonhap News Agency, https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20250403008557315?section=national/national, (Date of Access: 06.04.2025).
[2] Ibid.
