SEOUL, March 17, (V7N) – South Korea’s opposition party on Monday urged the Constitutional Court to expedite its ruling on the impeachment of suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol, warning that delays were fueling social unrest.

Yoon was impeached by lawmakers after his controversial December 3 martial law declaration, and the court has been conducting weeks of tense hearings to determine whether he should be permanently removed from office.

Despite earlier predictions of a mid-March ruling, the court has yet to announce its verdict—making this the longest impeachment deliberation in South Korea’s history.

Over the weekend, 100,000 demonstrators flooded Seoul’s streets, according to police reports, with massive rallies both for and against Yoon’s removal.

"The nation and its people have reached their limits. Tension and patience have already been pushed beyond their bounds," opposition MP Kim Min-seok said Monday.

"Any further delay would be abnormal and irresponsible."

Authorities are bracing for potential unrest when the court delivers its final ruling, with police prepared to deploy riot control forces and “all available equipment”.

Yoon’s supporters have already stormed a Seoul court once, vandalizing government property after a judge extended his detention. Fearing further violence, businesses near the Constitutional Court may shut down on the day of the verdict.

Seoul police chief Park Hyun-soo announced that authorities would:
Establish a 100-meter protest-free zone around the Constitutional Court. Undergo extra riot control training, including pepper spray and baton use.Deploy special forces to handle potential bomb threats

Beyond impeachment, Yoon is also facing a criminal trial for insurrection, marking the first time a sitting South Korean president has been prosecuted.

He was arrested in a dawn raid in January but was released in early March on procedural grounds.

As the Constitutional Court prepares its verdict, South Korea finds itself at a historic political crossroads, with tensions rising both in the streets and within its highest legal institutions.

END/WD/RH/