South Korea’s top court on Friday unanimously removed impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol from office following his controversial martial law declaration, sparking fresh elections after months of political unrest. The 64-year-old leader had been suspended by lawmakers for his December 3 attempt to undermine civilian authority by deploying armed troops to parliament. He was also arrested on separate insurrection charges. Millions of Koreans watched the Constitutional Court deliver its ruling live on television, while KakaoTalk, the nation’s main messaging app, reported delays due to a surge in user traffic. “Given the serious negative impact and far-reaching consequences of the respondent’s constitutional violations… (We) dismiss respondent President Yoon Suk Yeol,” acting court President Moon Hyung-bae said while delivering the ruling. Yoon’s removal, which is effective immediately, triggers fresh presidential elections, which must be held within 60 days. Authorities will announce a date in the coming days. Outside the court, AFP reporters heard Yoon supporters shouting threats that they wanted to kill the judges, who decided unanimously to uphold Yoon’s impeachment, and have been given additional security protection by police. Yoon’s actions “violate the core principles of the rule of law and democratic governance”, the judges said in their ruling. Yoon sending armed soldiers to parliament in a bid to prevent lawmakers from voting down his decree “violated the political neutrality of the armed forces”. He deployed troops for “political purposes”, the judges added. “In the end, the respondent’s unconstitutional and illegal acts are a betrayal of the people’s trust and constitute a serious violation of the law that cannot be tolerated,” they ruled. Opposition party lawmakers clapped their hands as the verdict was announced, calling it “historic”, while lawmakers from Yoon’s party filed out of the courtroom. Yoon apologised for failing to meet the people’s “expections” in a brief statement released after the verdict. Yoon becomes the second South Korean president to be impeached by the court, following Park Geun-hye’s removal in 2017. Following weeks of intense hearings, the judges took over a month to deliberate as public discontent grew. On Friday, police raised the security alert to its highest level, surrounding the courthouse with a fleet of vehicles and deploying special operations units nearby.