South Korea Constitutional Court to rule on President Yoon’s impeachment on April 4

SEOUL – The Constitutional Court of Korea, which is reviewing President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment, will announce its decision on whether to remove him from office permanently or reinstate him on April 4, the court said in a statement on April 1.

The court said that the ruling will be delivered at 11am local time (10am Singapore time), and live broadcast of the session will be permitted.

Mr Yoon was impeached by Parliament on Dec 14 after being accused of violating his constitutional duty by

declaring martial law in early December

with no justifiable grounds.

The suspended leader has said that he never intended to fully impose military rule, but instead meant to sound the alarm over the opposition Democratic Party’s abuse of its parliamentary majority, which he argued was threatening to destroy the country.

In his final statement before the court ended arguments, Mr Yoon also said that his decision to declare martial law was an appeal to the people to overcome “anti-state forces”, pro-North Korea sympathisers and opposition gridlock.

The South Korean won reversed earlier losses to turn higher against the US dollar after the announcement of the ruling date, and the stock market’s benchmark Kospi index was up 1.5 per cent.

The court, which now has eight justices with one seat vacant, can decide to oust Mr Yoon only when six or more justices agree, according to South Korea’s Constitution.

The wait of more than a month for the time of the court decision has fuelled a bitter clash between the ruling party, with many of its members calling for Mr Yoon’s reinstatement, and the opposition, which has said his return would deal a serious blow to the country’s constitutional order.

The looming decision has deepened divisions among the public, with large crowds packing downtown streets in demonstrations for and against Mr Yoon’s removal, while rhetoric has become increasingly heated.

Police are bracing themselves for potential violence once the ruling is announced.

The People Power Party’s floor leader, Mr Kweon Seong-dong, welcomed the announcement and said that the ruling party will accept the court’s decision, but warned that “social conflict will become stronger whatever the decision is”.

The Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae said he was confident that the court will rule unanimously against Mr Yoon.

The majority of the public backs Mr Yoon’s removal, according to opinion polls, although support has ebbed since the initial days after the martial law declaration in December.

A Gallup Korea poll released on March 28 showed 60 per cent of the respondents saying Mr Yoon should be ousted.

New election within 60 days if Yoon ousted

Parliamentary lawyers seeking the President’s removal compared Mr Yoon to a dictator during their final arguments at his impeachment trial.

Mr Yoon, a former prosecutor who has seen his popularity dive, could face removal from office less than three years into his five-year term if his impeachment is upheld, marking a tumultuous end to a tenure marred by political turmoil.

If Mr Yoon is removed, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days.

By law, a president has the right to declare martial law in wartime or other emergency situations, but the Democratic Party and its supporters say South Korea was not in such a situation.

Mr Yoon is also on a separate criminal trial on charges of leading an insurrection by declaring martial law, and faces the death penalty or life in prison if convicted, although South Korea has not carried out an execution since 1997.

His shock but short-lived martial law announcement, which banned political and parliamentary activity, triggered a constitutional crisis that also led to the impeachment of the prime minister who became acting president.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was reinstated on March 24 by the Constitutional Court, and resumed his role as Acting President.

In an impeachment trial in 2017, eight justices of the court at the time unanimously backed a decision to oust then President Park Geun-hye for violating her constitutional duty. REUTERS