Seoul: As Korea's Constitutional Court gears up to deliver its ruling on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, political tensions are escalating rapidly. Demonstrators have already started assembling outside the court, and the streets of central Seoul are expected to be flooded with rival protests from groups both supporting and opposing the impeachment on the verdict day.
According to Yonhap News Agency, police have established a 150-meter perimeter around the court using police buses, creating a "vacuum zone," and are preparing to issue the highest-level emergency alert on the day of the ruling. These measures are intended to prevent any confrontations between the opposing groups.
However, the greater threat appears to stem from the inflammatory rhetoric being employed by political leaders, some of whom are proactively dismissing the court's authority. Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Park Hong-keun suggested on Facebook that if the court's ruling is dismissed due to a vacancy on the bench, opposition parties and civic groups should "declare they will not accept the decision." Similarly, DP Rep. Park Ji-won intensified the rhetoric by labeling any justice who votes to dismiss the case as a "second Lee Wan Yong," a historical figure infamous for betrayal, thereby undermining judicial independence and fostering public distrust.
Conversely, Kim Yong-Won, a senior figure in the National Human Rights Commission, cautioned that supporting the impeachment could incite "massive protests" and potentially lead to "direct attacks" on the justices. Such language not only forecasts violence but also has the potential to incite it.
Acting President Han Duck-soo has appealed to politicians to prioritize national stability over political interests, an appeal that is crucial in these volatile times. Political leaders must exercise restraint in their rhetoric, aiming to bridge divisions rather than widen them, and protect democratic norms. While peaceful protest is a right, any illegal or violent actions should be met with firm measures. Regardless of the outcome, the decision of the court must be respected.