Citing a “grave betrayal of the people’s trust,” South Korea’s constitutional court voted unanimously on Friday to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol for his declaration of martial law in December. The impeachment wasn’t surprising. However, it was unexpected that all eight justices would agree to remove the president, given that he had appointed some of them.
South Korean society is clearly divided. Some celebrate the verdict, while others express frustration and anger. Still, this shouldn’t be a moment for celebration or for political grievance. From the perspective of someone who was born in North Korea – a totalitarian regime – this is a moment for serious reflection on the responsibilities of living in a free society.
What comes next?
Yoon is expected to go on trial on charges of insurrection related to his unconstitutional attempt to declare martial law in late 2024. The consequences for President Yoon are severe. He will no longer receive the formal privileges typically granted to former presidents – no annual pension, no official residence, minimal security detail, and no ceremonial honors. More significantly, he now faces the possibility of criminal prosecution. If convicted, he would face imprisonment and be barred from holding any public office.
Meanwhile, Yoon’s impeachment means South Koreans must elect a new president in the next 60 days.
What does President Yoon’s impeachment mean for North Korean human rights groups in South Korea?
The North Korean defector community is deeply divided, as NK News has highlighted. Some view President Yoon as a defender of freedom of speech and human rights, making him a valuable ally in promoting North Korean human rights. Others perceive him as a threat to South Korea’s democracy, particularly after his declaration of martial law and the issuance of a special order to unlawfully arrest key political figures – including members of his own party.
However, what is most disappointing is that the North Korea Freedom and Human Rights Fund, an initiative started by President Yoon, will most likely be put on hold – especially if the Democratic Party wins the upcoming presidential election. The Democratic Party’s policy on North Korea has historically favored engagement, often prioritizing diplomatic dialogue over pressure. As a result, it has been more reluctant to support human rights advocacy groups, viewing them as potential obstacles to building trust and pursuing inter-Korean cooperation.
President Yoon envisioned this fund as a South Korean version of the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy – a group with a long-term institutional commitment to supporting North Korean human rights organizations in advocacy, accountability projects, and more.
Many North Korean human rights groups based in South Korea have relied primarily on U.S. funding, particularly from the National Endowment for Democracy and the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. However, with much of that funding now in jeopardy, many of these organizations are on the brink of shutting down their offices and halting their critical work. The North Korea Freedom and Human Rights Fund would have provided a vital, sustainable source of domestic support – helping these groups survive and operate independently of unpredictable foreign funding cycles.
What does this mean for South Korean democracy?
On June 3, South Koreans will go to the polls to elect a new president. They should remember that good leadership isn’t just about solving problems; it’s about preventing them. The same holds true for a healthy democracy.
As someone who never had the freedom to vote for leaders in my home country, I appreciate the awesome privilege and responsibility of now doing so in the United States. A functioning democratic system shouldn’t simply rely on impeachment when things go wrong. It should start with citizens focusing on choosing the right leaders in the first place – leaders of integrity whose actions make the possibility of impeachment rare.
In just eight years, South Korea has elected and impeached two presidents: Park Geun-hye in 2017 and Yoon Suk Yeol in 2025. South Korean society should reflect on this fact. Yes, the South Korean people should take pride in their ability to hold their president accountable through impeachment because it demonstrates that democratic institutions are strong. It reaffirms the foundational principle that no one, not even a sitting president, is above the law.
But that pride must be celebrated with caution. The critical question now is not how to remove a bad leader but how to avoid electing one. The health of a democracy and its citizens is not just measured by its ability to correct wrongs, but by its ability to make wise choices from the start. Hopefully South Koreans will adopt this mindset when they return to the polls in two months.
