What happens next now that South Korea’s President Yoon is impeached?

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South Korea’s Constitutional Court will decide whether to remove Yoon Suk Yeol within 180 days, with the acting presidency set by the suspension and timing rules
South Korea’s parliament has impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his martial law decree, and Yoon’s presidential powers are suspended while he remains in office. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, appointed by Yoon, is now acting president, and the Constitutional Court has 180 days to decide whether to remove Yoon or reject the impeachment. If Yoon is removed or resigns, a presidential election must be held within 60 days.
Yoon’s powers are paused, but he stays in office
After the impeachment, Yoon’s presidential powers are suspended, but he remains in office. He retains immunity from most charges, except for insurrection or treason. The acting presidency is handled by Han Duck-soo, who was named prime minister by Yoon.
The Constitutional Court must rule within 180 days, with hearings after the referral
The Constitutional Court must decide within 180 days whether to oust Yoon or restore his powers. The court can begin its first hearings any time after it receives parliament’s impeachment resolution. A six-justice majority is required to remove an impeached president under the constitution.
Court vacancies could shape the vote, with parliament aiming to fill them by year-end
The Constitutional Court has nine justices, but currently has three vacancies, meaning the sitting justices would have to vote unanimously to remove Yoon if the vacancies are not filled. Those vacancies are allotted for parliament to fill, but opposition and ruling parties have not yet agreed on judicial appointments. The main opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority in parliament, is seeking to fill the vacancies by the end of the year, and acting president Han is not expected to block opposition nominees.
Timing pressures and past precedents point to a decision window before April
In the only previous presidential removal by impeachment, the court took about three months to remove Park Geun-hye in 2017. This time, the terms of two justices expire in April, and legal experts have predicted the court may seek to rule before then to reduce uncertainty. Yoon also faces criminal investigations related to the martial law decision, and if charged he could ask the Constitutional Court to suspend the 180-day clock, though the court denied a similar request in Park’s case.

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What happens next now that South Korea’s President Yoon is impeached?

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