Several hours after the court's verdict, which came about four months after the National Assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14 over his short-lived Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, Yoon apologized through his legal representatives for failing to meet the public's expectations.
"I deeply thank those who supported and encouraged me, even though I fell short. It is regrettable that I was unable to live up to your expectations, but it was a great honor to serve the country. I will pray for the country and its people," he was quoted as saying.
Following the court's decision, Yoon was immediately stripped of all presidential privileges except for some personal security, which would be at a lower level than that provided to a sitting president. As a result, Yoon and his wife Kim Keon Hee will still be entitled to security protection for five years after leaving office, with the possibility of an additional five-year extension if deemed necessary at his request.
But Yoon is required to vacate the official residence in Hanam-dong, central Seoul, as he will now be treated like any ordinary citizen and is expected to return to his previous home in southern Seoul.
Yoon also faces criminal prosecution on charges of insurrection, abuse of power, and other allegations, forcing him to stand trial coming weeks. But his legal representatives blasted the court's decision earlier in the day, calling it "politically-motivated and legally incomprehensible," suggesting a possibly lengthy legal battle ahead which could take several years.
Although the court ruled Yoon's extreme measures - such as deploying military personnel to storm government facilities like the National Assembly and the National Election Commission along with the alleged attempt to arrest a handful of lawmakers - unconstitutional, this does not automatically lead to a conviction. Prosecutors should prove those allegations with substantial evidence.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Yoon's die-hard supporters gathered in front of his residence, expressing outrage over his impeachment and demonstrating their unwavering support for him.
Born in Seoul in 1960 to a relatively wealthy family, Yoon studied law at the prestigious Seoul National University. He was not an academic high-flyer, passing the country's notoriously difficult bar exam in 1991 on his ninth attempt and becoming a prosecutor at the age of 34.
In 2022, Yoon, then a prominent prosecutor, was elected president by a wafer-thin margin, defeating his rival candidate Lee Jae-myung. Although he managed to win the presidential election amid a sudden rise in popularity among voters, often referred to as the "election of the unfavorables," where the two leading candidates slung mud at each other over various scandals, his victory by the slimmest margin of 0.73 percentage points meant he would face significant challenges with the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), which holds a super-majority in the National Assembly.
The political novice, who began his presidency amid a slew of controversies involving his wife along with several diplomatic blunders and clumsiness with blunt remarks has been consistently assailed by the DP, eventually resulting in the early end of his presidency.
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