{"id":959,"date":"2025-04-06T22:20:57","date_gmt":"2025-04-06T22:20:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=959"},"modified":"2025-04-06T22:20:57","modified_gmt":"2025-04-06T22:20:57","slug":"south-koreas-top-court-upholds-impeachment-of-president-yoon-suk-yeol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=959","title":{"rendered":"South Korea&#8217;s Top Court Upholds Impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at the removal of <strong>South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol <\/strong>from power, the global economic fallout of <strong>U.S. reciprocal tariffs<\/strong>, and an expanded <strong>Israeli military operation <\/strong>in Gaza.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Yoon Removed as South Korean President<\/h3>\n<p>South Korea\u2019s Constitutional Court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/2025\/04\/03\/south-korea-president-removed-martial-law\/\">ruled unanimously<\/a> on Friday to uphold the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol for his decision last December to invoke a <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2024\/12\/03\/south-korea-yoon-martial-law-declaration-army-parliament-vote\/\">short-lived martial law order<\/a>, triggering a political crisis.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at the removal of <strong>South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol <\/strong>from power, the global economic fallout of <strong>U.S. reciprocal tariffs<\/strong>, and an expanded <strong>Israeli military operation <\/strong>in Gaza.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-fallback\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/world-brief\/\">Sign up<\/a>  to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday.            <\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-shortcode-newsletter=\"world_brief\" class=\"newsletter-unit-signup newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode email-capture--step-1 newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-world_brief\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-world_brief newsletter-shortcode-world_brief\">\n<div class=\"show-on-email-capture--signed-up hide-from-newsletter-subscriber newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode--container\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit newsletters-page newsletter-row\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-world_brief\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">Sign up to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday.<\/h2>\n<p>\n                        <button class=\"button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"grid--flex newsletter-world_brief newsletter-signup-container\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"World Brief sign up form\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"buttons\">\n<div class=\"hide-from-newsletter-subscriber privacy-policy-container\">\n<div class=\"privacy-policy-acknowledge\">\n<p><small>By submitting your email, you agree to the <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/privacy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/termsofuse\/\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Use<\/a> and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n    <label for=\"email-world_brief\">Enter your email<\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" class=\"hide-from-reg hide-from-sub\" id=\"email-world_brief\" aria-required=\"true\" required=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    <button class=\"button button--signup \" data-newsletter-id=\"world_brief\" data-sourceid=\"In-article unit\">Sign Up<\/button>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Yoon Removed as South Korean President<\/h3>\n<p>South Korea\u2019s Constitutional Court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/2025\/04\/03\/south-korea-president-removed-martial-law\/\">ruled unanimously<\/a> on Friday to uphold the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol for his decision last December to invoke a <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2024\/12\/03\/south-korea-yoon-martial-law-declaration-army-parliament-vote\/\">short-lived martial law order<\/a>, triggering a political crisis.<\/p>\n<p>Yoon is guilty of \u201cviolating the constitutional order\u201d and \u201cbetraying the people\u2019s trust,\u201d said Moon Hyung-bae, the acting president of the Constitutional Court. \u201cHe violated his duty to unite the society as the president of all the people, beyond just his own supporters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am regretful and sorry that I could not live up to your expectations,\u201d Yoon said in response to the ruling, with his People Power Party adding that it \u201cseriously and humbly accepts\u201d the decision. Yoon is the country\u2019s second conservative president in a row to be <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/04\/03\/south-korea-president-martial-law-impeachment\/\">ousted by impeachment<\/a>, after then-President Park Geun-hye in 2017.<\/p>\n<p>On Dec. 3, 2024, Yoon ordered South Korean troops to seize the National Assembly, accusing the opposition of being \u201canti-state forces\u201d that sought to paralyze the government by repeatedly trying to oust his top officials. It was the first time that a South Korean leader had used the military as a <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2024\/12\/04\/martial-law-south-korea-yoon-dictatorship-self-coup\/\">political tool<\/a> since the country democratized in 1987.<\/p>\n<p>The revolt was blocked within six hours, and on Dec. 14, the National Assembly impeached Yoon and suspended his presidential powers. Despite efforts to evade arrest, Yoon was detained a month later as part of a criminal investigation into whether he led an <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2024\/12\/09\/yoon-coup-martial-law-south-korea-constitutional-chaos\/\">attempted insurrection<\/a>. Yoon faces a separate criminal trial, to begin on April 14, on insurrection charges.<\/p>\n<p>Friday\u2019s ruling ends a monthslong <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/04\/04\/south-korea-yoon-impeachment-constitutional-court-ruling\/\">constitutional crisis<\/a> that exposed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/apr\/04\/south-koreans-celebrating-yoon-suk-yeol-impeachment-saga-is-far-from-over\">deep fissures<\/a> in South Korean politics, and it clears the way for the country to move toward electing a new president. Under its constitution, South Korea must choose a successor within 60 days.<\/p>\n<p>If a presidential election were held in South Korea today, polls find that the likely winner would be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/04\/04\/world\/asia\/south-korea-removes-impeached-president.html\">Lee Jae-myung<\/a>, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party and its expected presidential nominee. \u201cToday marks the beginning of a true South Korea,\u201d Lee said on Friday in response to the Constitutional Court\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n<p>No strong front-runner has emerged from Yoon\u2019s People Power Party, as his removal from office has only increased the chance that progressive forces regain power.<\/p>\n<p>Until new elections can be held, acting President <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/01\/17\/south-korea-yoon-arrest-impeachment-constitution\/\">Han Duck-soo<\/a>, whose own impeachment was <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/south-korea-impeachment-han-ducksoo-20daed0fb3c90c02ca229c977d230b06\">overturned<\/a> last week, must govern South Korea. Meanwhile, the country faces several foreign-policy challenges\u2014from the <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/04\/03\/trump-tariffs-asia-china-japan-taiwan-south-korea\/\">United States\u2019 trade war<\/a> to growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Today\u2019s Most Read<\/h3>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>What We\u2019re Following<\/h3>\n<p><strong>U.S. tariff fallout. <\/strong>Global stock markets <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/market-rates-trump-tariffs-d86db525c370e9da834e6dfb76e23b86\">plunged<\/a> for a second day following U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s decision on Wednesday to impose <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/04\/03\/trump-tariffs-remote-islands-australia-antarctica-britain-arctic\/?tpcc=recirc_latest062921\">sweeping reciprocal tariffs<\/a> on virtually all U.S. trading partners. U.S. markets recorded some of their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/livecoverage\/trump-tariffs-trade-war-stock-market-04-03-2025\">steepest declines<\/a> since the COVID-19 pandemic. By 3 p.m. EST on Friday, the S&amp;P 500 index had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/markets\/global-markets-wrapup-1-2025-04-04\/?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=Newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=Daily-Briefing&amp;utm_term=040425&amp;lctg=607f1056abd4f461f466319b\">dropped<\/a> 6.8 percent, and the Nasdaq and Dow had fallen 5.25 percent and 4.78 percent, respectively.<\/p>\n<p>European markets also <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/04\/03\/trump-tariffs-economic-war-depression-1930s\/\">suffered<\/a>, with the pan-European STOXX index down 5.1 percent. And Japan\u2019s Nikkei 225 fell 2.8 percent. By nearly every metric, \u201cinvestors seem to expect the impact of Trump\u2019s new tariffs to be a drag on growth, a boost to inflation, and especially bad news on both fronts for the United States,\u201d FP\u2019s Keith Johnson <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/04\/03\/trump-tariffs-trade-stock-markets-economics\/\">reported<\/a> on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>Retaliatory measures continued into Friday, with China imposing <a href=\"https:\/\/gss.mof.gov.cn\/gzdt\/zhengcefabu\/202504\/t20250404_3961451.htm\">34 percent duties<\/a> on all imports coming from the United States starting April 10. \u201cThis practice of the U.S. is not in line with international trade rules, seriously undermines China\u2019s legitimate rights and interests, and is a typical unilateral bullying practice,\u201d China\u2019s State Council Tariff Commission said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Israel\u2019s operations in Gaza. <\/strong>Israeli forces <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/idf-widens-ground-operation-in-northern-gaza-kills-senior-hamas-official-in-lebanon\/\">expanded<\/a> their control over northern Gaza on Friday, just days after Defense Minister Israel Katz announced plans to seize large areas of the territory. According to the United Nations\u2019 humanitarian office, around 280,000 Palestinians have been displaced since Israel shattered its <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/03\/18\/israel-strikes-gaza-war-break-ceasefire\/\">cease-fire deal<\/a> with Hamas last month.<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, Israeli airstrikes <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/israel-gaza-hamas-strike-casualties-76c88384839a9ac71c87f0045278c385?user_email=6b04284e4d00370f16d3dac0a626e01bf24d86e4d6995646867da6aa680488d0&amp;utm_medium=Morning_Wire&amp;utm_source=Sailthru_AP&amp;utm_campaign=Morning%20Wire_4%20Apr_2025&amp;utm_term=Morning%20Wire%20Subscribers\">killed<\/a> at least 100 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, including dozens sheltering at a school that Israeli forces said was a \u201cHamas command and control center.\u201d Israel has repeatedly accused the militant group of operating out of civilian infrastructure. Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson Zaher al-Wahidi said the death toll from that attack is expected to rise.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Turkey <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/turkey-wants-no-confrontation-with-israel-syria-foreign-minister-says-2025-04-04\/\">reiterated<\/a> on Friday that it seeks no confrontation with Israel following Israeli strikes on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cx27y7e2vk9o\">military bases<\/a>, including two airports, in Syria this week. Israel has accused Turkey of playing a \u201cnegative role\u201d in Syria by assisting hostile forces there, but Ankara said the Israeli operations are <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/03\/27\/israel-syria-druze-war-assad\/\">fueling instability<\/a> and are an encroachment on Syrian territory.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Aid delivery allegations. <\/strong>The United Nations accused Myanmar\u2019s ruling junta on Friday of limiting humanitarian aid to survivors of the country\u2019s deadly <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/03\/28\/earthquake-myanmar-thailand-military-junta-natural-disaster\/\">7.7 magnitude earthquake<\/a>. As of Thursday, the official death toll had <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/myanmar-thailand-earthquake-71d51dfc7339e017b1d116c105effab4\">surpassed<\/a> 3,100 people, but local media report that the number of casualties is likely higher.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, Myanmar\u2019s military declared a temporary cease-fire with armed rebel groups to bolster recovery and relief operations. But the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on Friday that the junta was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/myanmar-junta-chief-joins-bangkok-regional-summit-earthquake-toll-tops-3100-2025-04-04\/\">restricting aid supplies<\/a> to communities that did not back the military\u2019s rule. OHCHR also said it was investigating reported junta-led attacks, including 16 potentially conducted after the cease-fire began.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>What in the World?<\/h3>\n<p>What did Russia discuss on Thursday with officials it hosted from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger?<\/p>\n<p>A. Regional infrastructure support<br \/>B. Economic support in the form of loans<br \/>C. Increasing military ties<br \/>D. Increasing trade<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Odds and Ends<\/h3>\n<p>It sounds like the subplot of a bad sitcom, but unfortunately, it\u2019s local U.S. politics. Mayor Tom Ross of Minot, North Dakota, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/minot-north-dakota-aa59ccb5b37fbc55e1e974dcf8dbbc6c\">resigned<\/a> on Tuesday after he mistakenly sent a \u201csexy video for his girlfriend\u201d to City Attorney Stefanie Stalheim in January. The file was sent just minutes after Ross and Stalheim completed a phone call discussing a police officer\u2019s suicide.<\/p>\n<p>Ross reportedly made the video during his lunch break and told the city attorney to delete it and not mention the incident to anyone else; however, an investigator found that the mistaken delivery \u201ccreated an offensive work environment.\u201d Ross took full responsibility on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>And the Answer Is\u2026<\/h3>\n<p>C. Increasing military ties<\/p>\n<p>Russia and China appear to be on a collision course in Africa, as each power pursues different\u2014and contradictory\u2014goals on the continent, Jessica Moody <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/03\/31\/china-russia-wagner-security-stability-africa\/\">writes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>To take the rest of FP\u2019s weekly international news quiz, <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/04\/04\/foreign-policy-news-quiz-hegseth-asia-france-marine-le-pen-taiwan-china-drills-trump-tariffs\/\">click here<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/alerts\/\">sign up<\/a> to be alerted when a new one is published.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/04\/04\/south-korea-yoon-suk-yeol-removed-impeached-constitution-martial-law\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at the removal of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol from power, the global economic fallout of U.S. reciprocal tariffs, and an expanded Israeli military operation in Gaza. Yoon Removed as South Korean President South Korea\u2019s Constitutional Court ruled unanimously on Friday to uphold the impeachment of President [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":960,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-959","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politcical-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=959"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/959\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}