Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans flooded the streets of Seoul, as nationwide tensions reached a fever pitch ahead of the Constitutional Court’s highly anticipated verdict on whether to uphold the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
President Yoon was impeached by lawmakers following his controversial declaration of martial law on December 3—an unprecedented move that triggered national outrage and accusations of insurrection. Despite predictions of a ruling by mid-March, the Constitutional Court has yet to deliver a verdict, making Yoon’s case the longest-running impeachment deliberation in South Korean history.
The delay has fueled speculation and conspiracy theories, with growing public concern that internal divisions among the court’s eight justices may be slowing the process.
In central Seoul, opposing rallies played out side by side, with anti-Yoon demonstrators demanding swift justice and pro-Yoon supporters insisting on his reinstatement. Both camps waved national flags and carried banners reflecting deep political polarization.
“I cannot accept this situation,” said 25-year-old protester Kim Min-ji. “By delaying a verdict on the clearly defined charge of insurrection, the court is giving time and strength to the forces that are complicit in Yoon’s crime.”
Supporters of the embattled president, including far-right commentators and conservative religious leaders, countered with equal fervor. “President Yoon only exercised his right as a president,” said Park Jong-hwan, 59. “It is absurd to perceive what he did as an act of insurrection.”
Yoon, who is also facing a separate criminal trial on insurrection charges, was briefly detained in a dawn raid in January. He was released in March on procedural grounds but remains under investigation, marking the first time a sitting South Korean president has stood trial for a criminal offense.
According to South Korea’s Constitutional Court rules, at least six of the eight justices must vote in favor of dismissal for Yoon to be formally removed. If the threshold is not met, he will be reinstated immediately.
Police are bracing for potential unrest when the verdict is announced, with plans to deploy “all available equipment” and possibly special units to address bomb threats or violent clashes, according to a recent internal report.
As the country waits for a historic decision, the deepening divisions within South Korean society suggest that, regardless of the outcome, national healing may take far longer than a court ruling.
