S. Korea President Ousted; Election Set Within 60 Days

South Korea will hold a presidential election within 60 days, following the Constitutional Court's April 4 ruling to uphold the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, making him ineligible to run for office again, Wendy Teo reported for The Straits Times.

The unanimous ruling by the court’s eight justices stripped Yoon, 65, of his presidential powers effective immediately. I Photo: Kang Min Seok, Republic of Korea Flickr

The nation’s Constitution mandates that a new president must be elected within that period once an impeachment is confirmed.

Both cheers of jubilation and cries of dismay erupted among crowds of anti-Yoon demonstrators and his supporters gathered outside the court in central Seoul, as the verdict was announced live on national television.

The unanimous ruling by the court’s eight justices stripped Yoon, 65, of his presidential powers effective immediately.

At a press conference following the verdict, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik urged citizens to “come together with mutual respect,” emphasizing that “there are no political sides, no religious divisions, and no generational gaps when the issue concerns the future of the country.”

He added, “Hatred, hostility, exclusion, and violence must be firmly rejected. This is the only way to protect our community and begin unity.”

Yoon had thrown the country into political chaos when he declared martial law during the late hours of December 3, 2024—only to be forced to reverse the decision within hours by the National Assembly.