Description: South Korea’s Constitutional Court is expected to decide on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s charges which could position the country in several crisis alternatives. The Court has to decide on Yoon’s rebellion charges as he declared martial law and ordered police and military forces to surround the South Korean assembly. The decision could see Yoon reinstated as the country’s President or facing prison time. South Korea has been plunged into a prolonged political crisis followed by daily protests in a period of time when regional instability is on a high level caused by North Korea’s rapid rearmament and the US MAGA policies. The Court’s decision is expected to be announced in the following couple of weeks.
Impact: South Korea’s protracted political crisis could have considerable impact on the country’s internal stability and regional geopolitical positioning. The Constitutional Court is faced with a difficult challenge which could put the country in a precarious position, especially in terms of rising regional military and security tensions. In case President Yoon is charged, South Korea is looking at emergency national elections which would only fuel the ongoing civil unrest and internal instability. If the Court grants reinstatement, Yoon’s establishment would have to recuperate from the incorporation of its unconstitutional measures which were aimed at preventing a key assembly vote and consolidate political relevance and credibility.