SEOUL, April 4 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's constitutional court on Friday upheld the impeachment against President Yoon Suk-yeol.

The following are key political developments in South Korea since the short-lived imposition of martial law.

-- Dec. 3: In a surprise announcement at 10:29 p.m. local time, President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law in a televised emergency address, claiming to eradicate "anti-state forces" and uphold free constitutional order.

It marked the first martial law declaration since the country's military dictatorship ended in the late 1980s.

At around midnight, martial law troops began entering the parliament building, sealing the main gates and setting up barricades.

-- Dec. 4: The National Assembly held a plenary session in the early hours, passing a resolution to lift the martial law with 18 lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party and 172 lawmakers of opposition parties in attendance and voting in favor.

Yoon later gave another televised speech to lift the martial law. The decree was in effect for about six hours.

-- Dec. 5: South Korea's opposition parties began to report an impeachment motion against Yoon to the parliament over his declaration of emergency martial law.

By law, the 300-member unicameral National Assembly is required to cast a secret vote on the impeachment motion within 72 hours after it is proposed.

-- Dec. 7: South Korea's parliament failed to pass the impeachment motion against Yoon as most of the lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party refused to vote on it.

-- Dec. 8: South Korean prosecutors booked Yoon as a suspect on charges of treason.

Park Se-hyun, who leads a special investigation headquarters into Yoon's short-lived martial law declaration, said the prosecution is investigating charges of treason and abuse of power against the president.

While the president mostly has immunity from prosecution while in office, that does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.

-- Dec. 10: South Korea's National Assembly passed a resolution calling for the immediate arrest of Yoon and seven other officials over the botched martial law declaration.

-- Dec. 11: South Korean police raided Yoon's office over his martial law declaration.

-- Dec. 12: South Korea's parliament passed bills to appoint independent counsels to investigate Yoon's insurrection charge over his martial law declaration and scandals involving the first lady.

-- Dec. 14: South Korea's parliament passed the impeachment motion against Yoon with 204 votes in favor and 85 against, with three abstentions and eight invalid votes.

With the parliamentary approval, the constitutional court will deliberate the impeachment within 180 days, during which Yoon's constitutional power will be suspended and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will be the acting president.

-- Dec. 27: South Korea's opposition-controlled parliament voted to impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who had been serving as acting president following Yoon's impeachment.

Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok assumed the position of acting president.

The constitutional court started the first preparatory hearing for Yoon's impeachment trial.

-- Dec. 31: A South Korean court issued a warrant to arrest Yoon, marking the first time in the country's modern history that an arrest warrant was issued against a sitting president.

-- Jan. 3: South Korean investigators with the anti-corruption investigative unit failed to arrest Yoon and left the presidential residence after being blocked by the presidential security service.

-- Jan. 15: Yoon was arrested in the presidential residence, becoming the country's first sitting president to be kept in custody over his short-lived martial law imposition.

-- Jan. 21: Yoon attended the constitutional court's hearing of his impeachment trial for the first time, denying all charges relevant to his martial law imposition.

When questioned by a justice, he denied ordering military commanders to drag lawmakers out of parliament.

-- Jan. 26: South Korea's prosecution indicted Yoon on an insurrection charge.

-- Feb. 25: The constitutional court held the 11th and final hearing of Yoon's impeachment trial, with Yoon present for his final statement.

Yoon said he felt sorry for the confusion and inconvenience caused by his martial law imposition.

-- March 7: The Seoul Central District Court approved the release of the arrested president, accepting Yoon's request to cancel his detention that was made by his legal team on Feb. 4.

-- March 8: Yoon was released as the prosecution decided not to appeal against a court's release approval.

-- March 24: South Korea's constitutional court rejected a motion by the parliament to impeach Han. Han was immediately reinstated as prime minister and acting president.

-- April 1: South Korea's constitutional court said it would decide whether to impeach Yoon on April 4.

-- April 3: Yoon decided not to attend the constitutional court's ruling on his impeachment.

-- April 4: South Korea's constitutional court upheld the impeachment against Yoon. Enditem

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