On Thursday, December 18, 2025, South Korea's Constitutional Court delivered a landmark ruling, upholding the National Assembly's decision to impeach Cho Ji-ho, the former commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency.
The court's verdict confirms Cho's removal from office over his role in the botched martial law bid led by former President Yoon Suk-yeol in December 2024. Lawmakers had charged Cho with blocking their access to the parliamentary building and ordering police deployments at the National Election Commission during the state of emergency.
The motion to impeach Cho was passed by the National Assembly on December 12, 2024, marking a rare exercise of legislative oversight against a top security official. Supporters of the impeachment argue it reinforces democratic checks and balances after a tense standoff between the executive branch and lawmakers.
Critics of the government’s martial law proposal say Cho’s actions threatened parliamentary sovereignty and the integrity of the electoral process. With the Constitutional Court’s ruling now final, legal experts say this sets a significant precedent for holding high-ranking officials accountable under the constitution.
International observers are watching closely as South Korea navigates the fallout from this political crisis, which has stirred debates over the limits of executive power and the resilience of democratic institutions in the Republic of Korea.
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South Korea's constitutional court upholds impeachment of police chief
cgtn.com
