Rachel Lee
BBC Korean

Image source, Kim Jun Hee

Kim Jun Hee, 24, a representative of the pro-Yoon group Freedom University, says that he was "devastated" by the verdict.

But he's now going to focus on mobilising voters for the upcoming presidential election.

As a university student, Kim has been working to amplify young people’s voices.

"We’re going to do what we can - holding open discussions and connecting with students across universities to make sure their voices are heard," he said.

Kim, distrustful of polls from major institutions, has been conducting his own surveys across six universities.

"We found that there are still many pro-Yoon students out there. I don’t understand how the country plans to address the frustration of so many people," he said.

According to a survey of 1,001 South Koreans held by Gallup earlier this week, 57% of respondents supported Yoon's impeachment, while 37% disagreed with it.

The ruling People Power Party's approval rating stood at 35%.

If there were to be an election to be held to replace Yoon, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was the frontrunner with 34% of support - far higher than any other potential contenders.

His Democratic Party had an approval rating of 41%.

With today's verdict removing Yoon, South Korea must hold an election within 60 days to elect a new president.

Image source, Getty Images

Although Yoon's approval ratings have been on a downward trajectory since he took office in 2022, calls for him to be removed from office grew after his shocking attempt to impose martial law on 3 December last year.

The declaration was abruptly withdrawn - after lawmakers scrambled overnight to vote it down - but still, it plunged the country into its worst political turmoil in years.

Days and nights of protests followed in the chilly temperatures, with tens of thousands of people calling for Yoon to either step down or be removed.

Yoon's successor, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo initially stepped in as acting president, but was also impeached. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok served as acting president and acting prime minister until 24 March, when the constitutional court dismissed Han's impeachment and reinstated him as acting leader.

The political uncertainty has added to South Korea's economic woes. It has cut its growth forecast for the year to 1.8%, down from earlier projections of 2.2% and 2.6%.

We've just heard from Yoon - it's his first remarks since the verdict was announced.

"Dear fellow citizens, It has been a great honour to serve the Republic of Korea," reads the statement released through Yoon's lawyers.

"I am deeply grateful to all of you who supported and encouraged me, despite my many shortcomings.

"I am truly sorry and regretful that I could not live up to your expectations.

"For our beloved country and all its people, I will always keep you in my prayers."

Good morning to our readers in Europe and the UK. If you're just joining us, here's where things stand in Seoul, where President Yoon Suk Yeol has been removed from office by the court.

• South Korea's Constitutional Court has unanimously decided to uphold Yoon's impeachment, immediately removing him from office
• A presidential election has to be held within the next 60 days
• Once the verdict was read out, cheers broke out among anti-Yoon protesters. Meanwhile, we saw tears and anger in the pro-Yoon camp
• Security has been beefed up around Seoul in case the rallies turn violent, but so far things have remained calm

Our team on the ground will continue to bring you the latest, so stay with us.

Katy Watson

Image source, Katy Watson/BBC

The anti-Yoon protest has moved on to the square at Ganghwamun , the main rally site in Seoul which is right next to tourist attraction Gyeongbokgung Palace.

There are people waving flags and cheering in small groups.

One huge flag dwarves all the others and reads: "The citizens are the owners of this country".

Shaimaa Khalil

Image source, BBC/Chika Nakayama

As the verdict was announced, Yoon supporters cried, shouted and cursed at the screen.

“It’s beyond insane," Edward Cho told me. "I’m so angry I can’t even cry."

He told me, as his face went red, that "going back to normal is impossible. We'll keep resisting".

“Justice is dead, freedom is dead," an elderly woman told us, shouting and in tears.

This is a critical moment in one of South Korea’s worst political upheavals in decades, unleashed by Yoon’s short lived declaration of martia law in December. It was a gamble that backfired and he paid for it with his presidency.

Even though the crowd is thinning. there’s still a heavy police presence here outside the presidential residence. Yoon is said to be inside but he will have to vacate at some point as the country looks to elect a new president within 60 days.

The constitutional court's decision, though final, does not end this political crisis. South Korea is a country still deeply polarised.

Analysts expect the snap election to be held on the last day of the 60-day window, which is 3 June.

Hannah Kim, an international studies professor at Sogang University, told BBC News the political parties will likely want, and need, as much time as they are allowed to prepare for the hustings.

When former president Park Geun-hye was forced from office on 10 March, 2017, the election for her replacement was held on 9 May, exactly 60 days later.

Rachel Lee
BBC Korean Service

Image source, Kim Min-ji

Kim Min-ji, a member of an anti-Yoon university student group, quietly watched the verdict as those around her held hands in solidarity.

"I'm thrilled with the result. It’s a relief to see our efforts over the past four months lead to impeachment today. It’s an honour for university students to play a role in shaping Korea’s democratic history," she said.

Kim compares the atmosphere around her to one of a festival - with celebratory music and cheers in the air.

"It's incredible that student groups helped defend democracy in South Korea," she says, referencing the number of student protesters that have come out in protest in the weeks and months leading to today's verdict.

"This moment carries great significance. Many local media outlets have expressed concerns that university students are becoming politically disengaged, but the past four months prove that’s not true.

"We’ve held declarations and discussions on campuses, and they led us to this moment."

Image source, Ra Sumi

It wasn’t just protesters out on the streets who were closely monitoring the verdict.

In offices and workplaces across South Korea, many people paused paused work to watch the impeachment ruling.

"We were all watching the livestream of the Constitutional Court’s verdict," said office worker Sumi Ra.

"When the judges unanimously upheld Yoon’s impeachment, some people said, ‘I saw this coming,’" she added.

But overall, the reaction was subdued. "People are hesitant to express their political views these days because the political divide is so extreme. That’s why we all just sat quietly, watching the verdict at our desks," Ra explained.

Now, as people head to lunch, the conversation has shifted to the upcoming presidential election.

"The only thing on everyone’s mind now is when the election will be held and who the candidates will be. No one wants to see this situation repeated.

"Even now, I still feel uneasy when I think about the martial law last December," she said.

Screams of joy and disappointment were heard as demonstrators from both pro and anti-Yoon camps watched the ruling on live broadcasts - here is more of their reactions:

Jean Mackenzie
Seoul correspondent

Image source, John Linton

One of Yoon Suk Yeol’s close confidantes in the run up to martial law had told the BBC that he watched Yoon become increasingly frustrated with the opposition Democratic Party.

John Linton, a conservative politician, said Yoon repeatedly talked about how the party was being run by Marxists, once comparing it to the Chinese Communist Party. He thought that, if in power, they would turn South Korea into an authoritarian communist state and bankrupt the country. “I got this speech at least 15 to 20 times”. 

According to Linton, Yoon was “livid”, when the party started impeaching an unprecedented number of his political appointees and trying to investigate his wife for corruption.  

“They are trying to bring me down, the government down, and end our democracy - and we can’t put up with it”, Yoon told him.

“He saw martial law as a method for punishing the opposition. He felt that somebody had to stand up to them,” Linton said.

“Once he makes a decision he doesn’t hesitate. It was a poor decision, and he is paying the consequences now, but I think he sincerely thought he had the country’s best interests at heart”.

Read more on the unravelling of South Korea's 'stubborn and hot-tempered' martial law president

David Oh
BBC Korean Service

Image source, BBC/David Oh

The mood within the pro-Yoon camp has been calm so far, although some poeple are evidently in dismay and grief.

Barely an hour after the ruling was delivered, many Yoon supporters were seen packing their bags and leaving.

We still see lines of riot police standing guard here, in helmets and carrying shields. Locla media had reported that some 14,000 police officers have been deployed to respond in anticipation of potential violence and unrest.

In the wake of Yoon's removal, Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said his government will prioritise the ties between the two countries.

Whatever the outcome of the upcoming election, cooperation between the two countries will be Tokyo's "top priority", he said, according to the Reuters news agency.

As we've been reporting, the mood among Yoon's supporters quickly darkened after the verdict. Here are the photos from their rally earlier.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Image source, Reuters

Katy Watson and Simon Atkinson

We are at an anti-Yoon camp in Seoul, where people have been reacting with jubilation to the constitutional court verdict to uphold the president's impeachment.

"I can't calm down. I am so happy because of this impeachment. I'm just sad it has taken so long to make this decision," said 66-year-old Won Seonhee.

We asked Haeson Song, 30, how she felt. "I'm overwhelmed," she said after a long pause. “I don’t have the words in any language - Korean or English."

She said she felt both hopeful and anxious about the future of her country.

Junha Lee, a 25-year-old student, said he thought April’s Fool had come early in December when martial law was imposed.

It was important to witness the decision today, he said, while shaking with emotion.

An angry Yoon supporter has been arrested for damaging a police bus window near the constitutional court, local media reported.

In a photo published by local media, a man, in body armour and with a gas mask and a helmet, can be seen holding a long club as he attacks a bus window, with a big hole smashed through the glass.

Some people around tried to stop him, according to reports. The police eventually tracked him down and arrested him.

South Korean police have mobilised "all available resources" today to thwart any possible violence.

Jean Mackenzie
Seoul correspondent

You’d be forgiven for thinking South Korea’s president had already been impeached. In December he was temporarily removed from office, after parliament voted him out.

He was stripped of his power, but was still president in name. It was up to South Korea’s Constitutional Court to confirm his impeachment and permanently remove him, which it has just done.

Over the past few months, a panel of judges heard evidence from those involved that night – from military commanders, intelligence officers and politicians, to President Yoon himself.

The question the court had to answer was: did Yoon violate the constitution when he declared martial law? The constitution states that martial law should only be used during wartime or other comparable emergencies, and that members of parliament must be given the opportunity to vote on it.

During the trial, the president downplayed his intentions on the night of martial law, claiming he merely wanted to warn South Koreans about the dangers of the opposition party. He said he dispatched troops to keep the peace.

But according to others, Yoon ordered the army to drag lawmakers out of parliament to stop them from voting down his decree.

Today’s ruling makes it official: Mr Yoon is no longer South Korea’s president. A snap election will be held within 60 days to elect his replacement.

Rachel Lee
BBC Korean Service

Image source, Kwon Ye-young

Kwon Ye-young, 26, a representative of Young South Koreans Against Impeachment, watched the verdict outside Seoul Western District Court on Friday.

"This is devastating. I'm disappointed that the judges don’t fully understand what constitutes a national emergency or empathise with those trying to save Korea," Kwon said.

She criticised the court for focusing solely on Yoon’s military mobilisation rather than considering the broader "structural war" affecting politics, the economy, education, and culture.

"This country is in crisis. People are losing hope and energy, and now we need to reorganise ourselves," she added.

Kwon says the atmosphere was tense leading up to the verdict.

"Now that Yoon has been impeached, some people are in tears. The situation feels dire," she said.

As for the next steps, Kwon admitted there are no concrete plans yet.

"Right now, it's difficult to accept this result. We need to figure out how to move forward and regain our strength," she said.

Jake Kwon

Earlier this year, we saw some pro-Yoon supporters storming and vandalising a courthouse after a judge granted an arrest warrant against Yoon.

Now that he's been impeached, we could see similar scenes of protests at some point.

In 2017, when then President Park Geun Hye was impeached, there were scenes of violence between police and pro-Park supporters which culminated in the death of four people.

Yoon will also need to vacate the presidential residence in Hannam-dong. In the case of former president Park, she took two days to vacate the residence.

If Yoon refuses to leave, it could trigger a stand-off with police.