讀後心得

On the morning of April 4, the Constitutional Court of South Korea announced the approval of the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, voting unanimously to remove him from office. Due to public safety concerns at the time, Yoon did not attend the verdict. Acting President Han Duck-soo immediately signed an emergency order to maintain order and pledged to ensure safety. This made Yoon the second South Korean president to be impeached, following Park Geun-hye. The court ruled that Yoon's martial law declaration was unconstitutional and deemed that his actions violated the basic rights of the people. This was followed by demonstrations both in support of and against Yoon Suk-yeol, leading to heightened tensions. According to the law, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days, expected to take place on June 3 of this year. Yoon Suk-yeol also faces charges of internal unrest and abuse of power, with a public trial scheduled for April 14.

Yoon Suk-yeol did not attend the courtroom. The Constitutional Court of South Korea announced at 11 AM local time on April 4 that the impeachment case against President Yoon Suk-yeol has been passed, with all eight judges of the Constitutional Court unanimously supporting the impeachment, leading to Yoon Suk-yeol’s removal from office. Media reports indicate that acting president Han Duck-soo immediately signed an emergency declaration to maintain public order, stating that authorities would ensure safety to prevent a security and diplomatic vacuum in the country. Yoon Suk-yeol became the second South Korean president to be removed by the court, following former president Park Geun-hye. According to law, South Korea must hold a by-election within 60 days to elect a new president. Before the ruling, Yoon Suk-yeol, through his legal representative, indicated that he would not attend the declaration of the ruling, considering public order and safety issues. The entire ruling process was broadcast live on television to the public. Although the decision concerns Yoon Suk-yeol's political future, it cannot quell the unrest triggered by his brief imposition of martial law. Currently, thousands of supporters and opponents of Yoon Suk-yeol have gathered in Seoul to demonstrate, and the situation has occasionally become tense. To respond to potential conflicts, Seoul has deployed more than 14,000 riot police, and some nearby schools, shops, and tourist attractions have closed in advance due to the ruling.

After the court session at 11 AM local time, acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-pyo read the ruling, stating that the martial law declared by Yoon Suk-yeol was unconstitutional. The judges indicated that there was no significant national crisis at the time, and the reasons Yoon Suk-yeol presented for asserting that the opposition's actions created a national crisis were inadequate to justify his martial law decision. His actions exceeded the authority granted by the Constitution and were not conducted in accordance with due process when declaring martial law. The ruling stated that Yoon Suk-yeol's mobilization of the military to enforce martial law violated the legitimacy of the National Assembly and emphasized that he failed to fulfill his duties and deviated from the responsibility of protecting the people. The judges further pointed out that Yoon Suk-yeol's actions of martial law "damaged the people's fundamental political rights" and violated the principles of the rule of law and democracy.

On December 3 of last year, Yoon Suk-yeol briefly declared martial law, but it was lifted just a few hours later, after which the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion against him, leading to his suspension from office. On December 30, a South Korean court issued an arrest warrant for Yoon Suk-yeol for suspected rebellion and abuse of power, marking the first time in South Korea's constitutional history that an arrest warrant has been issued for a sitting president. It has been 111 days since the ruling. In terms of reactions, after the court announced the impeachment motion's passage, those opposing Yoon Suk-yeol cheered at the scene, with many embracing each other and enthusiastically waving flags, creating an atmosphere akin to the South Korean team winning the World Cup. Opponents of Yoon expressed immense joy at the outcome of the impeachment, despite feeling saddened by such a lengthy process.

Meanwhile, at the rally of Yoon Suk-yeol supporters, upon hearing the news of his removal, the atmosphere was filled with anger and tears, with supporters expressing that they "completely cannot accept" the court's decision. A young man shouted, "This makes no sense at all!" while another lamented, "Korea is finished." Some supporters protested after the court issued the arrest warrant, drawing widespread social attention. The ruling allowed 20 members of the public to observe, but 96,000 people applied, resulting in a competition rate of 4,818 times.

After the ruling, the opposition Democratic Party described today's decision as a victory for the people, while the People Power Party, to which Yoon Suk-yeol belongs, accepted the court's ruling and apologized to the public. Yoon Suk-yeol's legal representatives expressed doubt about the entire trial process and stated that they could not understand the result, believing it was entirely a political decision. A few days earlier, the Chinese Embassy in South Korea also reminded Chinese citizens in Korea to strengthen safety precautions, anticipating that large-scale gatherings and protests would occur following the court's ruling, and extreme incidents could happen. Observers noted that the emotions of Yoon Suk-yeol's supporters were relatively calm, although some felt shocked and saddened.

The next step, after Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment, is that according to South Korean law, a by-election must be held within 60 days to select a new president. Analysts predict that the by-election will take place on June 3. A professor from Seogang University in South Korea stated that various political parties might wish to have sufficient time to prepare their campaign activities. Acting President Han Duck-soo indicated that he would prepare for the next presidential election and delivered a public address after Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment. According to foreign media reports, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming presidential election, Japan regards cooperation with South Korea as a "top priority." Additionally, Yoon Suk-yeol has also been indicted for suspected rebellion and will face his first public trial on April 14, with his removal implying that he loses judicial immunity.