Applications for Watching the Impeachment Trial of President Yoon Suk-yeol Skyrocket… At One Point, Over 90,000 in Waiting.
The Constitutional Court has set the date for the ruling on President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment trial on the 4th, and public interest is surging as applications to observe the trial have begun.
On the 1st, the Constitutional Court officially announced the ruling date for President Yoon's impeachment trial and started accepting applications for observation through its official website around 4 PM.
However, there were significant delays in accessing the application page due to an overwhelming number of users.
In particular, it was reported that as of 9:40 PM the previous day, the number of people waiting had exceeded 90,000.
This level of interest is considered unprecedented in the history of applications to observe impeachment trials of presidents.
Expected Intense Competition… Only 20 Seats for General Public
The application period for observation is until 5 PM tomorrow (the 3rd), after which winners will be selected through a lottery system and notified via individual text messages.
Only 20 seats are allocated for the general public, making the competition extremely fierce.
Looking at the competition rates for previous presidential impeachment trials, during the impeachment trial of former President Roh Moo-hyun in 2004, the rate was 20 to 1, and during former President Park Geun-hye's trial in 2017, it was 769 to 1.
Given the current number of people waiting, it seems highly likely that the competition rate for observing President Yoon's impeachment trial will set a new record.
Meanwhile, the ruling by the Constitutional Court regarding the impeachment trial is seen as a significant historical event in the constitutional history of the Republic of Korea, reflecting the high level of public interest in this matter's seriousness.
In particular, with the political parties and public opinion sharply divided over this impeachment case, many citizens are expressing a desire to witness this historic moment firsthand as attention focuses on the court's decision.
The Constitutional Court has introduced an electronic lottery system to ensure fairness in the selection process for spectators and is reported to be making thorough preparations for security and order maintenance.
Image sources: Constitutional Court observation application reservation page, News1, President Yoon Suk-yeol present at the third hearing on impeachment on January 21 in front of the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul / News1.
