South Korea’s Constitutional Court will on Friday decide whether to remove or reinstate impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol over his short-lived martial law declaration that sparked a crisis in a country seen as a democratic success story.

The fate of the embattled president has been hanging in the balance after the court defied expectations of a swift decision on whether to oust him for violating his constitutional duty or to reinstate him, instead deliberating for more than five weeks in tight secrecy.

DAILY POST reports that the court is scheduled to deliver its ruling at 11 am (0200 GMT) in a nationally televised session.

He is not expected to attend the ruling, but if he is stripped of his presidency, an election must be held within 60 days.

Additionally, if his powers are restored, Yoon faces the challenge of helping Asia’s fourth-largest economy navigate the fallout from the stiff tariffs imposed by the United States, its main security ally.

The verdict will cap months of political confusion that have overshadowed efforts to deal with the new administration of US President Donald Trump at a time of slowing growth.

The 64-year-old Yoon, who faces a criminal trial on insurrection charges, became the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested on January 15 but was released in March after a court cancelled his arrest warrant, citing questions over the procedural legitimacy of the investigation.

The crisis deepened following his December 3 declaration of martial law, which he claimed was necessary to root out anti-state elements and the opposition Democratic Party’s alleged abuse of its parliamentary majority, which he argued was destroying the country.

He lifted the decree six hours later after lawmakers defied efforts by the security forces to seal off parliament and voted to reject it.

https://dailypost.ng/2025/04/03/south-korea-yoon-to-know-fate-on-friday/