Description: South Korea’s Constitutional Court has ousted impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his illegal imposition of martial law in Dec last year. Han Duck – Soo would serve as the acting President until a precise date is determined for the upcoming elections scheduled to be held in Jun. Yoon declared martial law in Dec citing concerns over the misuse of the majority in the parliament by the opposition, which instigated the worst political crisis in modern era for South Korea. Lee Jae – Myung, populist leader of the Liberal Democratic Party is the most likely candidate to replace Yoon, however, he as well faces legal challenges on the basis of corruption.
Impact: The decision by the Constitutional Court to remove President Yoon from office only represented a step towards resolving the growing political crisis in South Korea. With Yoon’s most prominent opponent Lee Jae also facing corruption charges, the presidential race in the country is wide open as the next president would have to tackle crucial issues such as US tariffs, North Korea’s military threats, and mounting diplomatic pressure from China. The crisis in South Korea could be used by rival countries such as North Korea and China to dissuade the country from further strategically aligning with the US.