For hours, the atmosphere in the streets surrounding South Korea’s Constitutional Court in downtown Seoul had been tense. Dozens had camped out overnight in the early spring chill in the lead-up to the court’s historic decision on Friday.

The crowds for and against the dismissal of the country’s impeached President, Yoon Suk Yeol, were separated by police buses and metal barriers up to 4 metres in height.

As the acting chief justice began reading out the decision, filled with technical legal jargon, the crowds grew quieter, straining to hear from outdoor loudspeakers the outcome that would determine Yoon’s fate — and that of the country. Some people opposed to Yoon cheered and applauded intermittently as the reading went on.

And then, the crowd erupted.

Those supporting Yoon’s impeachment reacted with hugs, screams and fists pumped in the air to the unanimous decision to remove him from office. At a rally of Yoon supporters, there was loud booing. Some people folded over in dismay. “It’s been so hard, but now my heart is relieved,” said Kim Ji-seon, who brought her daughter to witness the verdict.

New York Times News Service