South Korea’s Constitutional Court unanimously voted on Friday to formally unseat the country’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, ending months-long political uncertainty in the Asian nation.
The court’s decision followed the political battle between Mr Yoon and South Korean authorities after the National Assembly impeached the politician for declaring a short-lived martial law in December last year, which sent shockwaves worldwide.
In a ruling on Friday, eight justices of South Korea’s top court unanimously endorsed the decision of the Korean National Assembly to impeach Mr Yoon, which was the final piece of the puzzle needed to complete the permanent removal of the politician from office following his initial impeachment in a parliamentary vote on December 14.
By law, the court needs at least six justices to formally dismiss a president impeached by the National Assembly.
In the eight-justice court, Mr Yoon needed just three justices on his side to survive the parliamentary impeachment and regain office.
The ruling will finally provide some clarity on the country’s political situation for the first time since December last year, with the next action being to conduct a new national election within the next 60 days to elect a new president.
“It has been a great honour for me to work for the country,” Mr Yoon said in a statement released through his lawyers following the court’s decision. “I thank those who supported and cheered me despite my shortcomings. I am regretful and sorry that I could not live up to your expectations.”
Meanwhile, Mr Yoon still faces criminal insurrection charges over the imposition of martial law in a separate trial that started in February of this year.
He was formally arrested on those charges in January and was held for 52 days before a court ordered his release from detention last month.
