South Korea Constitutional Court upholds Yoon’s impeachment

(SEOUL) -- South Korea's Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose short-lived declaration of martial law late last year plunged the country into political chaos, in a decision that removes the suspended leader from office.

The verdict was read in court shortly after 11 a.m. Friday local time (10 p.m. Thursday ET). Police across the country had been placed on the highest security alert level ahead of the verdict, with a security perimeter established around the court in Seoul, according to the Yonhap news agency.

With the court's decision, Yoon is formally removed from office and South Korea will hold a snap presidential election within 60 days, according to the news agency.

Yoon was removed from office by the opposition-controlled National Assembly after declaring martial law in a televised speech on Dec. 3, claiming the opposition party sympathized with North Korea and was paralyzing the government.

The move sparked fierce protests, and several hours after the declaration, the National Assembly voted to demand that the president lift the martial law order.

Separate from his removal from office, Yoon was indicted by South Korean prosecutors on insurrection charges over the brief imposition of martial law.

An arrest warrant against him led to a standoff between his security team and police earlier this year.

In a dramatic scene, thousands of police descended on his home and were met with crowds of the impeached president's backers, including some who lay down in front of police vehicles in an attempt to block authorities from reaching the residence.

Yoon was eventually arrested several days later and held in custody until March 8.

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