Seoul, Feb 25 The South Korean Constitutional Court is expected to decide whether to remove President Yoon Suk Yeol from office or reinstate him around mid-March as it wrapped up hearings of his impeachment trial on Tuesday over his failed martial law bid.
The court capped the trial after 11 rounds, 73 days after the National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon over his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3.
Following the final arguments in Yoon's impeachment trial, the court's eight justices will deliberate on the case and cast a vote behind closed doors.
At least six justices must vote in favour of impeachment for the motion to be upheld. The nine-member court has one vacancy.
Legal experts expect a verdict to be delivered within two weeks, considering precedents of past presidential impeachment trials and the gravity of the case.
At the heart of the case is whether Yoon's martial law decree violated the Constitution and laws.
The impeachment motion accuses Yoon of violating the Constitution and laws by declaring martial law in the absence of a national emergency and ignoring due procedures, such as holding a Cabinet meeting and notifying the Parliament.
Yoon has argued his declaration of martial law was an act of governance meant to send a warning to the opposition party over its repeated impeachments of government officials and attempts to cut the government budget.
If Yoon, who was elected in May 2022 for a single, five-year term, is formally removed from office, a snap election will be held within 60 days. However, if the impeachment is dismissed, Yoon will immediately resume his duties.
Yoon said if he returns to office, he will dedicate the latter half of his term to revising constitutional amendments and political reforms to ensure "a well-functioning nation" for future generations.
"I will devote myself to swiftly gathering the will of the people and pushing forward constitutional amendments to create a Constitution and political structure that align well with the changes in our society," Yoon said in a final hearing, pledging efforts toward national unity.
If reinstated, Yoon said he would focus on foreign affairs while empowering the Prime Minister with greater authority over domestic matters to more effectively address international and domestic challenges.
Currently, Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, has taken the caretaker role after Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was impeached on December 27.
Stakes are high as Yoon's botched martial law declaration has unleashed a prolonged period of political instability amid economic and security challenges at home and abroad, Yonhap news agency reported.
A majority of South Koreans approved of his impeachment in recent polls, but Yoon's staunch supporters have held rallies in front of the court for weeks to oppose his ouster.
Yoon is the third South Korean President in the past two decades to be impeached.
Late President Roh Moo-hyun was impeached for violating election law in 2004, but he was reinstated by the court. In 2017, the court unanimously ousted President Park Geun-hye for corruption and abuse of power.
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