The Constitutional Court announces 'Impeachment Ruling Date' on the previous day (1st)

As the final judgment by the Constitutional Court on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol draws near, both the political sphere and the public's attention are focused on the court. It is reported that the justices of the Constitutional Court have already reached a conclusion, but the details remain shrouded in secrecy.

On the 1st, JTBC Newsroom reported that the justices have concluded the voting procedure known as 'deliberation' regarding the impeachment motion against President Yoon.

Deliberation refers to the process in which the nine justices of the Constitutional Court vote on their opinions to arrive at a conclusion, effectively indicating that the final judgment has been made.

The Constitutional Court announced the ruling schedule to the media abruptly about 40 minutes after the justices' meeting began at 10 AM the previous day.

The announcement came sooner than expected… "Deliberation already completed."

Initially, it was anticipated that the ruling date would be made public as early as two days prior, but it was announced a day earlier than expected. This has led to speculations that the Constitutional Court may have made this decision to minimize public pressure and social chaos.

In the past, during the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, it was reported that the court completed its deliberation on the morning of the ruling day; however, testimonies from those close to the court indicated that the deliberation had actually been completed several days earlier.

Despite the reports that deliberation has been completed this time as well, no one knows the precise opinions that the justices expressed regarding the acceptance or rejection of the impeachment. The Constitutional Court is maintaining strict confidentiality about the outcome of the impeachment trial.

Currently, work has begun on the 'final decision document'… "Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae will read it out loud."

Meanwhile, it is said that the Constitutional Court has initiated work on the final decision document following the deliberation. Previously, the court's research officers had prepared drafts in advance, considering various scenarios such as acceptance or rejection of the impeachment. However, it appears that the justices are now directly involved in refining the language of the final decision document.

The Constitutional Court is also reported to have started drafting the ruling statement, which Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae will read out loud in the courtroom on the day of the ruling. If there are justices who give minority opinions, they will prepare their own separate ruling statements reflecting their views.

Up until just before the announcement, the Constitutional Court will continue to deliberation, finalizing both the decision document and the ruling statement. Given the public's interest and concerns, the final decision of the Constitutional Court is expected to become a significant turning point in the politics of the Republic of Korea.

Image source: Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae / News1, President Yoon Seok-yeol attending the third trial of the impeachment case / News1, News1