South Korean court removes impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol

South Korea's Constitutional Court on Friday removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, nearly four months after he caused political chaos by declaring martial law and deploying troops to parliament in an unsuccessful attempt to resolve legislative deadlock.

The court's unanimous decision follows the National Assembly's impeachment vote, which was passed three months ago.

With the president's removal, South Korea is now required to hold a national election within two months to elect a new leader.

Polls indicate that Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party, is currently leading as the likely candidate for the presidency.

At a rally against President Yoon near the historic royal palace in downtown Seoul, the crowd erupted in tears and celebration upon hearing the verdict.

Two women embraced, tearfully rejoicing, while an elderly man nearby jumped to his feet, shouting in joy.

Yoon's declaration of martial law and subsequent impeachment threw South Korea into political chaos, sparking massive protests both in support of and against him.

Many experts predict that his supporters will likely escalate their rallies following the court's ruling, deepening the national divide.

On December 3, Yoon's sudden imposition of martial law led to the deployment of hundreds of soldiers and police officers to the National Assembly.

While Yoon claimed the move was to maintain order, several senior military and police officers involved later testified in hearings that Yoon had instructed them to forcibly remove lawmakers to prevent a vote on his decree.

Eventually, enough lawmakers were able to enter the assembly and unanimously voted to reject Yoon's decree.

On December 14, the National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon, accusing him of constitutional violations and other legal breaches, including suppressing legislative activities, attempting to detain politicians, and causing instability throughout the country.