Constitutional Court to rule on Yoon impeachment

The Constitutional Court will deliver its ruling on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment at 11 a.m. on April 4, marking the culmination of a political crisis sparked by the Dec. 3 declaration of martial law. After four months of turmoil, the impeachment process reaches its final stage amid deep national division, with neither President Yoon nor Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung having issued any message of acceptance ahead of the verdict.

According to legal sources on April 3, the Constitutional Court justices convened in the morning to finalize their decision on President Yoon’s impeachment. A last-minute deliberation could still occur before the decision is read aloud. Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae is scheduled to deliver the ruling at 11 a.m. If six or more of the eight justices vote in favor, President Yoon will be immediately removed from office, becoming the second president in the country’s history to be ousted after Park Geun-hye. If the motion is dismissed or rejected, he will return to his duties at the Yongsan presidential office immediately.

As of the day before the ruling, neither Yoon nor Lee had publicly committed to accepting the decision. President Yoon announced that he would not attend the hearing, citing overall concerns about order and security, and has remained silent on his stance. However, sources indicate that he is considering issuing a direct message after the ruling is announced.

Lee Jae-myung also refrained from addressing whether he would accept the ruling. Instead, during his visit to a memorial ceremony for the victims of the April 3 Jeju Incident, he told reporters that South Korea had failed to hold past massacres accountable, referencing both the Jeju 4·3 Incident and the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. “Because those crimes against the people were never condemned, we are now witnessing the absurdity of a new military regime dreamed up under the Dec. 3 martial law,” he said.

Groups on both sides of the impeachment issue have vowed to continue protests near the Constitutional Court, Gwanghwamun, and in front of the president’s official residence in Hannam-dong, regardless of the outcome. This has led to growing calls for President Yoon and Democratic Party leader Lee to deliver messages of unity and encourage their supporters to accept the decision.

However, tensions remained high between the two major political parties. Kwon Young-se, interim leader of the ruling People Power Party, said, “The Democratic Party bears the greatest responsibility for bringing about this situation.” In contrast, Democratic Party floor spokesperson Noh Jong-myeon countered, “It is President Yoon, the main party involved and perpetrator, who must accept the ruling.”


Hyung-Jun Hwang constant25@donga.com