section_path: Background
section_name: Background
paragraph_text: Background
  
  South Korea has been governed as a presidential democracy under the 1987 constitution, which provides for a strong independent executive. As a result, presidents can only be removed by a difficult impeachment process, rather than a simple vote of no confidence. Only one Korean president, Park Geun-hye, had previously been removed from office through impeachment, which occurred in 2017, also with a unanimous 8 – 0 decision of the Constitutional Court. Before being impeached himself, Yoon assisted in the prosecution of Park. Roh Moo-hyun was impeached in 2004 on accusations of illegal electioneering, incompetence, and economic mismanagement. However, the Constitutional Court cleared him of two infractions and deemed the remaining charge not serious enough to warrant removal, allowing him to remain in office.