As Yoon exits the scene without trauma, elections are expected in early June
Even conservatives accept the Constitutional Court’s unanimous ruling, removing the sitting president over his attempt to impose martial law on 3 December. This marks the start of an uncertain election campaign with opposition leader Lee Jae-miung as the big favourite.
Seoul (AsiaNews) – South Korea’s Constitutional Court has issued its long-awaited ruling. By a unanimous decision, it upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, a former prosecutor, for his attempt to impose martial law on the night of 3 December.
Mr Yoon thus becomes the second president of South Korea to be removed from office after Park Geun-hye, who was forced out in 2017 for her involvement in a corruption scandal in which Yoon played a key role in convicting her.
Polls indicate that a majority of South Koreans believe that the justices’ ruling is right, and oppose Yoon’s coup designed to break a deadlock with the National Assembly, which is controlled by the opposition Democratic Party.
The mood among right-wing parties, whose supporters took to the streets today, is one of resignation; nevertheless, despite early fears of possible violence, which led to an unprecedented deployment of security forces, no disturbances were reported.
Immediately after the sentence, Yoon himself released a brief statement through his lawyers. “I deeply regret not being able to live up to your hopes and expectations," he writes. “It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve our nation. I am sincerely grateful for your unwavering support and encouragement, even when I fell short."
His immediate predecessor, Moon Jae-in, a member of the main opposition party, also spoke about the ruling of the Constitutional Court.
“We defended the democratic republic in the name of the Constitution and justice," he wrote on his Facebook page, thanking those who have mobilised since the night of 3 December.
“We have once again demonstrated to the world the remarkable resilience of our democracy," he added, hoping that the consequences of martial law will soon give way to "unity and stability" and serve as an opportunity to advance towards a "more mature democracy."
Now, according to the Constitution, the country will have to elect a new president within 60 days. The most likely date is 3 June, while the primary elections will have to be held to pick candidates.
Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, who lost to Yoon in 202 by a handful of votes, was cleared by Seoul Central District Court of corruption charges in connection with his tenure as a provincial governor, thus paving the way for a presidential run.
Today Lee is the clear favourite, while Yoon’s conservative People Power Party is still grappling with the fallout from the impeachment.
The country's Catholic bishops also responded to today's ruling. As a new phase that is opening in the country’s history, they call on South Koreans “to make every effort to restore the trust of the people and achieve harmony.”
In particular, they “hope that politicians will not forget that they exist to serve the people, respect each other, and move toward a win-win politics where they listen to each other's opinions.”
In addition, “for social reconciliation and the realisation of the common good, the process of electing leaders with responsibility and morality should be realised democratically and maturely.”
To this end, “The Catholic Church of Korea will pray with all our hearts so that the choices made by the people in the future will become a stepping stone for justice and true peace to be realized in our country.”
The June election will also be an important test for regional politics in East Asia. Under Yoon, South Korea pursued a policy of rapprochement with Japan against China and a hardened stance vis-à-vis North Korea.
On both issues, Lee holds very different positions than Yoon and which will now be tested, especially in the wake of US President Donald Trump's tariffs, which will also hit South Korea hard.
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12/02/2016 15:14
