South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has officially lost his job.
On Friday, the country’s top court agreed with the parliament’s earlier decision to remove him from office. This happened after Mr. Yoon surprised the nation in December 2024 by declaring martial law, which gave the military special control.
The move shocked many people because South Korea is known for its strong democracy, where leaders are chosen through fair elections and the public has freedom of speech. Declaring martial law without a clear emergency was seen as a serious threat to those values.
Mr. Yoon had claimed he needed to take action against threats from North Korea. But lawmakers and the public quickly realised there wasn’t a real danger. Instead, it seemed Mr. Yoon was trying to hold onto power during a time when he faced political trouble.
Thousands of people protested in the capital city, Seoul, and South Korea’s parliament quickly voted to end martial law. Every one of the 190 members present agreed to stop it.
Later, the parliament voted to impeach Mr. Yoon—meaning they wanted to remove him as president. The final decision was up to the Constitutional Court, which has now approved the impeachment.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is now the acting president until a new leader is chosen. A new election must happen within the next 60 days.
This event has been called one of the biggest challenges to South Korea’s democracy in recent history.
