(2nd LD) Constitutional Court upholds Yoon's impeachment, removes him from office

(ATTN: UPDATES with details of ruling; CHANGES photo)
By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- The Constitutional Court unanimously upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, removing him from office over his short-lived imposition of martial law in December.

The verdict, which was read by acting court chief Moon Hyung-bae and televised live, took effect immediately, requiring the country to hold a snap presidential election to pick Yoon's successor within 60 days, which many expect to fall on June 3.

Yoon was impeached by the opposition-controlled National Assembly in mid-December on charges of violating the Constitution and laws by declaring martial law on Dec. 3, deploying troops to the National Assembly to stop lawmakers from voting down the decree and ordering the arrest of politicians.

"The negative effects on the constitutional order and the repercussions from the defendant's violations of the law are grave, making the benefits of protecting the Constitution by dismissing the defendant larger than the national losses from dismissing the president by an overwhelming degree," Moon said.

The court recognized effectively all of the charges against Yoon, including that he did not meet the legal requirements for declaring martial law and sent troops to the Assembly to stop its reversal of the decree.

The ruling People Power Party said it "humbly accepts" the court's ruling, while the main opposition Democratic Party welcomed it as a "people's victory."

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