What's next for S. Korea after Yoon removed from office

South Korea's constitutional court on Friday upheld a motion by the National Assembly to impeach the country's president Yoon Suk-yeol over his short-lived martial law imposition.

The conservative leader officially lost all presidential power, becoming the country's second sitting president to be forcibly removed from power following former conservative President Park Geun-hye's ouster through impeachment in 2017.

What about Yoon

Moon Hyung-bae, acting chief of the court, read a ruling on Yoon's impeachment, saying it was a unanimous decision of eight justices.

The acting chief said Yoon broke his duty of protecting the constitution as he damaged the constitutional institutions, such as the parliament, and violated the basic rights of people by mobilizing the military and the police.

Following his removal from office, Yoon must vacate the presidential residence in central Seoul. Local media predicted that he may return to his private house, but it remains unclear whether he will leave the official residence immediately.

According to South Korea's law on the treatment of former presidents, a president who is removed from office due to impeachment loses most of the post-retirement privileges granted under normal circumstances.

This includes the loss of pension, office space, vehicle, and secretarial support. Only basic security protection will be provided.

Yoon will face criminal trial as a normal citizen over his alleged involvement in an attempted insurrection. South Korea's prosecution indicted Yoon on an insurrection charge on January 26 after he was arrested in the presidential residence on January 15.

Political and social conflicts

Yoon had been facing challenges from opposition parties since he took office. Last April, the ruling party suffered a crushing defeat in parliamentary elections, further weakening the government.

After over two years in office, Yoon used veto power 25 times against bills passed by the opposition-led National Assembly. As a result, issues such as health care and pension reform, led by the Yoon administration, have faced significant legislative resistance.

The political conflicts have deepened social conflict. A report by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs released in March found that public perception of "social conflict" reached its highest level since 2018, with the most severe divide between progressives and conservatives.

Local newspaper Chosun Ilbo observed that ideological conflicts, more than regional or wealth disparities, have become a major obstacle to South Korea's social unity.

After a motion to impeach Yoon was passed in the National Assembly on December 14 over his botched martial law imposition, polarization and conflicts became even more pronounced, leading to growing hatred and extreme emotions.

The delay in the constitutional court has also intensified conflicts between conservative and progressive factions, making street protests a daily occurrence and further fracturing society, said Lee Jaemook, a professor at the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

Early election

After Yoon is removed from office, South Korea must hold an early presidential election within 60 days. Currently, the leading candidate is Lee Jae-myung from the Democratic Party of Korea, though uncertainty remains.

According to an NBS poll on Thursday, Lee has a 33-percent approval rating, leading by about 24 percentage points over the second-highest contender, the minister of employment and labor, Kim Moon Soo.

Given the deepening political polarization and Yoon's impeachment, the key to determining the election outcome will be the support of centrist voters and the non-partisan electorate, according to local media reports.

Although the impeachment has created a more favorable environment for progressives, the conservative camp remains unified, which could lead to a balanced contest, said Professor Choi Yong-tae of Chonnam National University.