Overview
Yoon Suk-yeol (born December 18, 1960) is a South Korean politician and former prosecutor who served as the 20th President of South Korea from 2022 until his removal in 2025. He was the first former Prosecutor General to become president. He was impeached in December 2024 after declaring martial law and was removed from office by the Constitutional Court in April 2025.
Basic Information
| Name | Yoon Suk-yeol (윤석열) |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | December 18, 1960 |
| Birthplace | Seongbuk-gu, Seoul |
| Education | Seoul National University, College of Law |
| Profession | Politician, Former Prosecutor |
| Party | People Power Party |
| Term | May 10, 2022 – April 4, 2025 |
Prosecutorial Career
After graduating from Seoul National University College of Law, Yoon completed the 23rd class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute. He served as a prosecutor for 27 years from 1994.
- 2013: Head of Special Investigation Team for NIS comment manipulation case
- 2016: Joined Park Young-soo Special Counsel investigating Park Geun-hye scandal
- 2017-2019: Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District
- 2019-2021: 43rd Prosecutor General of South Korea
Presidential Election
After resigning as Prosecutor General in June 2021, Yoon entered politics and joined the People Power Party. In March 2022, he won the presidential election by a margin of 0.73% against Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party.
Martial Law and Impeachment
Declaration of Martial Law
On December 3, 2024, at 10:20 PM, President Yoon declared emergency martial law, claiming it was to eliminate pro-North Korean anti-state forces. However, the National Assembly voted unanimously to lift the martial law with 190 members present, and it was lifted at 4:27 AM on December 4.
Impeachment Process
- December 7, 2024: First impeachment motion failed (195 votes, short of 200 quorum)
- December 14, 2024: Second impeachment motion passed, suspended from duties
- January 15, 2025: First sitting president in constitutional history to be arrested
- January 26, 2025: Indicted on insurrection charges
- April 4, 2025: Constitutional Court unanimously upheld impeachment (removal)
Historical Significance
Yoon became the second president to be removed by impeachment after Park Geun-hye, and the first sitting president in Korean constitutional history to be arrested. He holds the shortest term of any directly elected president since democratization in 1987.