Yoon Suk-yeol impeachment

An overview of conflict, from protests to military and militant violence, in the Asia-Pacific in March 2025.

The Yoon era is over, but the South Korean polity is divided more than ever. 

The Constitutional Court upheld Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment. As of April 4, Yoon is no longer president of South Korea and a snap election must take place within 60 days.

Lee Jae-myung’s strategic bet – that he can leverage widespread public discontent without further deepening societal divisions – will pose a key test for South Korea’s democracy.

The Constitutional Court’s overturning of Prime Minister Han’s impeachment helps us make some inferences about Yoon’s case – but not the obvious one.

Ahead of the ruling on the South Korean president’s impeachment, the Constitutional Court overturned the impeachment of Han Duck-soo.

The Constitutional Court is taking longer than expected to issue its ruling. South Koreans are divided over how to interpret the delay.

A recent poll found Yoon's approval rating has dipped even below the immediate post-martial law period – contrasting with other polls showing a pro-Yoon bounce.

Even after South Korea’s Constitution Court delivers its verdict, the country’s fierce and fractured partisan divide is likely to rage on both within and outside of the government. 

As Yoon Suk-yeol embraces the rhetoric of far-right extremists, South Korea has become deeply polarized and political violence is on the rise.

The six-week trial has ended. Now, the Constitutional Court will decide whether to uphold Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment. 

Should the Constitutional Court uphold the impeachment of Yoon Suk-yeol, who will run for the presidential election? 

Gender, again, is determining the flow of South Korea’s political upheaval.

The martial law episode – and all that followed – “reflects a broader global pattern of democratic erosion but also showcases Korea’s unique strengths.”

Despite his refusal to appear for questioning in the CIO's investigation, Yoon Suk-yeol attended the impeachment trial held by the Constitutional Court on Tuesday.

In the wake of the court’s decision to extend the detention of Yoon Suk-yeol, his supporters used violence against the police and stormed the courthouse.

Over 3,000 police came to bring in Yoon for questioning after a much smaller initial attempt was blocked by presidential security.

During this sensitive time of Seoul’s political turmoil, Blinken’s much-awaited visit to South Korea is the last gift that the Biden administration wants to offer its ally. 

Their blind protection of President Yoon Suk-yeol perpetuates his insurrection.

South Korea must prioritize constitutional integrity over partisan gains to ensure that democratic ideals do not devolve into enduring political instability.

For the first time in South Korea’s history, an arrest warrant requested by the investigation agency against the president has been issued.

More than a reaction to Yoon’s autocratic and anti-feminist tendencies, the massive participation of women is the culmination of long-standing struggles for gender equality, and unmet demands for justice.

A day after Han Duck-soo vowed not to appoint three judges for the Constitutional Court, the main opposition party impeached the acting president.

It’s not just Yoon whose political career hangs in the balance; opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung is grappling with numerous legal woes of his own.