SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s Constitutional Court is set to rule on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, either removing him from office or restoring his powers four months after the conservative leader threw the country into turmoil with an ill-fated declaration of martial law.
The court was scheduled to issue a verdict on Yoon in a nationally televised session set to begin at 11 a.m. (0200 GMT). At least six of its eight justices must vote to remove Yoon for the impeachment to be upheld.
If the court orders Yoon removed, a national election will be held within two months to find a new president. If the court rules for the president, he will immediately return to presidential duties.
Yoon’s declaration of martial law on Dec. 3 lasted only six hours before he was forced to lift it after the liberal opposition-controlled legislature quickly managed to vote it down. Later in December, the assembly impeached Yoon, suspending his powers and sending his case to the Constitutional Court. Yoon is facing a separate criminal trial for alleged rebellion.
Whatever Friday’s verdict is, experts predict it will further deepen domestic divides. In the past four months, millions have taken to the streets to denounce or support Yoon, deepening South Korea’s already severe conservative-liberal division.
Facing worries that violence could erupt following the ruling, police deployed thousands of officers on Thursday and placed police buses, rolled-up fences and plastic barricades to seal off streets leading up to the court. The military said it plans to heighten its own surveillance posture.
Thousands of rival protesters continued their rallies, making their final appeals to the court to uphold or reject Yoon’s impeachment.
“For four months, we have been exhausted and worn down, but our anger toward Yoon Suk Yeol remains strong,” protester Kim Mi-ok shouted during an anti-Yoon rally.
Earlier in the day, Yoon supporters rallied nearby, waving South Korean and U.S. flags and raising signs that read, “Fraudulent impeachment will surely be dismissed.” On stage, a protest leader repeatedly led chants of “Let’s protect him!”
The most contentious issue at Yoon’s impeachment trial was why he sent hundreds of troops and police officers to the National Assembly, election offices and other places after declaring martial law.
Although the period of martial law ended without violence, the impeachment motion accuses Yoon of violating the constitution and other laws by suppressing assembly activities, attempting to detain politicians and undermining peace across the country.
Yoon has said that his dispatch of soldiers to the assembly was meant to maintain order. He also said he imposed martial law in a desperate attempt to bring attention to the “wickedness” of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which obstructed his agenda and impeached many of his top officials. But senior military and police officials who were sent to the assembly have testified that Yoon ordered them to detain rival politicians and prevent the assembly from voting.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country’s acting leader, has repeatedly urged the rival sides to accept whatever ruling the court makes on Friday.
Shin Yoon-hye, 63, an office worker who attended anti-Yoon demonstrations three times, said she would rally against Yoon again if the court restores his presidential powers.
“If Yoon’s impeachment is overturned, our country will plunge into the abyss,” she said. “Yoon tried to resolve things with force when he was politically driven into a corner. That was wrong. We are a democratic country and he should have pursued a political compromise.”
