The Constitutional Crisis in the Republic of Korea in 2024–2025. Martial Law and Impachment of the President

Following the April 2024 South Korean parliamentary elections, the standoff between President Yoon Seok-yeol and the legislature escalated to a new level. After opposition leader Lee Jae-myeong was threatened with legal action, the opposition initiated preparations to remove the president from office, including a "total impeachment" process against officials who disagreed with the Democratic Party's policies. This crisis culminated on December 3, 2024, when President Yoon attempted to impose martial law, but Parliament members overruled him in accordance with the constitution. The state of emergency was in effect for five and a half hours, and there were no reported casualties. On December 14th, 2025, Yoon Seok-yeol was impeached by the opposition. However, due to high levels of social polarization and a number of contentious interpretations, it took more than one month for the Constitutional Court to reach a decision. Despite this, the president was removed from office unanimously. Actions that may be considered in violation of the constitution, as well as public support for impeachment and the fact that a court ruling ended the crisis, all contributed to this outcome. The restoration of the president's office would have led to a return to the previous political stalemate. Despite the attempts by both parties to impose their own interpretation of events on the public, it is important to note that, generally, neither side is attempting to seize power through unconstitutional means, but rather through the abuse of legally authorized procedures. The imposition of martial law in the absence of a state of war or conflict, as well as the "total impeachment strategy" employed by the opposition, are not formally prohibited. At the same time, it is worth noting that the practice of changing laws when they hinder one's goals is more characteristic of the opposition. In such a scenario, it is necessary to state that a decision of the Constitutional Court would not immediately end the crisis. One should not therefore expect a change in the foreign policy direction of the country that would be more favorable to Russia.

Martial law, impeachment, South Korean internal politics, Yoon Seok-yeol, Lee Jae-myung, state of the parliament and the presidency