Yoon Suk-Yeol, South Korea's suspended president, has been officially removed from office. The announcement comes four months after he shocked the nation and the world by declaring martial law. He further violated the law by deploying soldiers to parliament in an attempt to prevent lawmakers from lifting martial law, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
In a historic ruling on Friday, the Constitutional Court upheld the National Assembly's impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol for imposing martial law on Dec. 3.
Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae began reading the verdict around 11 a.m.
At 11:22 a.m. the Constitutional Court upheld Yoon's impeachment in an 8-0 unanimous vote.
Yoon was ousted from office the moment the verdict was decided. He became the second Korean president to be impeached and removed from office.
The ruling confirms Yoon's impeachment, resulting in his immediate removal from office.
"The benefits of upholding the constitution by removing the defendant far outweigh the national losses of ousting a sitting president," said Chief Justice Moon Hyung-Bae during a live televised announcement.
Yoon has denied the charges against him as he unprecedentedly for a sitting president appeared in person to defend himself in eight of 11 court hearings leading up to the verdict.
The prosecutor-turned-politician's impeachment verdict was broadcast live as tens of thousands of people both supporting and rejecting his impeachment took to the streets of downtown Seoul, near the court and the presidential residence.
Shortly after the verdict was announced, presidential officials lowered the phoenix flag, symbolizing the presidential office, at the Yongsan presidential compound in central Seoul.
Yoon is expected to have to exit from the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District soon. In 2017, ex-President Park Geun-hye left the presidential residence after two days.
Park was impeached in late 2016 for abuse of power and corruption and ousted through a unanimous decision on March 10, 2017. This led to an early presidential election on May 9 that year.
South Korea must now hold a presidential election within two months to choose Yoon's successor.
Yoon's party has stated that it "humbly accepts" the court's decision, while the main opposition party hailed it as a "victory for the people." The unanimous verdict marks the climax of four turbulent months in the world's 12th-largest economy.
The Constitutional Court, in turn, acknowledged on Friday all five grounds for impeachment by the National Assembly and concluded that there were serious unconstitutional and illegal acts, enough to justify Yoon's removal.
The court said that Yoon had mobilized the military and police, undermining the National Assembly and other constitutional institutions, violating fundamental human rights and abandoning his duty to protect the Constitution.
The court determined that Yoon's declaration of martial law was illegal, as there was no national emergency at the time of its imposition, violating constitutional requisites.
The court said that Yoon's reasons, including alleged election fraud and the opposition's impeachment motions against his government, didn't justify a martial law decree.
Large protests were expected in the South Korean capital Seoul after Friday's announcement, regardless of how the court would rule.
In addition to his impeachment, Yoon faces separate criminal charges, including sedition. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
The Constitutional Court in a historic ruling on Friday upheld a decision to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol for imposing martial law on Dec. 3.
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