South Korea in turmoil: Yoon Suk Yeol’s shocking removal paves way for snap polls, what it means for country’s future

South Korea's constitutional court upheld the president's impeachment

South Korea's Constitutional Court ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol from office following his unexpected declaration of martial law—a move that sparked the country's most severe political turmoil in decades, triggered nationwide unrest, and unsettled financial markets.

A leader who once charmed guests at a White House state dinner by singing “American Pie” at the request of President Joe Biden has now been impeached in his own country. Let’s take a look at how events took a shocking and unexpected turn.

Reason behind Yoon's impeachment 

South Korea’s political crisis erupted on December 3 when President Yoon declared martial law, deploying troops to the National Assembly and imposing media censorship along with a ban on political activity.

During his trial, he claimed that his actions were necessary because the country and his political opponents had been infiltrated by North Korean and Chinese spies. He further alleged that these "anti-state forces" had manipulated previous elections.

The order was overturned within six hours after lawmakers forced their way in and voted against it.

On December 14, Parliament impeached Yoon, with the opposition holding 192 of 300 seats—enough for a two-thirds majority. His impeachment trial concluded in late February.

Yoon was arrested on January 15 on insurrection charges, sparking a violent riot by his supporters at the court. Nearly 90 people were detained.

Though a court canceled his arrest warrant in March due to legal concerns and timing issues, Yoon made history as the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested on insurrection charges. Impeachment of Yoon has now paved way for snap elections in the country.

What’s next for South Korea after Yoon’s removal?

After the court's ruling, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will continue to serve as acting president until a new leader is elected and sworn in. A new presidential election must be held within 60 days.

The new president will take office as soon as the National Election Commission declares the results.

While Yoon is not the first South Korean president to be impeached, he became the first sitting president to be arrested. But he is not the only president to get impeached.

In 2017, then-President Park Geun-hye, South Korea’s first female president, was impeached and removed from office over a major corruption scandal.

Constitutional Court upheld the decision of her impeached-on March 9, 2017, and the presidential election was held on May 9, 2017. Park's successor was inaugurated the day after that vote.

Who is in the race? 

Lee Jae-myung: Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 election, is now the frontrunner for the upcoming snap vote. He led the impeachment effort and gained attention by livestreaming himself climbing the National Assembly fence during the martial law blockade. Despite his lead in the polls, Lee faces ongoing legal challenges, including bribery and property scandal cases, which could impact his candidacy.

Han Dong-Hoon: The former leader of South Korea’s ruling People Power Party, a 51-year-old ex-prosecutor, is seen as a leading conservative hopeful. He strongly opposed Yoon’s martial law move and resigned as party leader after urging Yoon to step down. While he remains popular among moderate conservatives, Yoon’s supporters have criticized him for allegedly enabling the president’s impeachment.

Kim Moon-Soo: Labour Minister Kim, despite polling ahead of other conservative candidates, has said he’s not planning to run for president. Like many conservatives, he criticized Yoon’s arrest and the impeachment process.

Oh Se-Hoon: Hoon is Seoul’s four-term mayor, a key conservative voice, supports exploring nuclear armament against North Korea. He launched the “KOGA” campaign to boost economic growth from 2% to 5%, inspired by Trump’s MAGA slogan.

Hong Joon-Pyo: Hong, the mayor of Daegu and a five-term conservative lawmaker, has signaled plans to run for president while opposing Yoon’s removal. A former presidential candidate in 2017, he’s criticized ex-PPP leader Han for breaking ranks with Yoon.

Kim Dong-Yeon: Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim is seen as a rising opposition contender. In January, he told Reuters that strong Korea-U.S. ties are crucial, regardless of who leads, and emphasized that the Democratic Party must win the next election.

Now, let’s take a closer look at how elections are conducted in South Korea and the structure of its electoral system.

Decoding South Korea’s national election system

South Korea is a presidential representative democratic republic with a unicameral legislature known as the National Assembly, which is made up of 300 members.

Out of these, 253 are elected through a first-past-the-post system in single-member districts, where the candidate with the most votes wins. The remaining 47 seats are filled through proportional representation, with parties gaining seats based on their overall share of the national vote.

The country is divided into provinces and metropolitan cities, and during elections, voters cast two ballots—one for a candidate in their local constituency and another for a political party.

The single-member district seats are decided through a first-past-the-post system, where the candidate with the most votes wins. Meanwhile, proportional representation seats are distributed based on each party’s share of the total national vote, ensuring fairer representation in the legislature.

Presidential elections are held every five years. South Korea’s Constitution limits presidents to a single term, meaning once elected, a president cannot run for office again.