South Korea opposition urges swift ruling on president’s fate

SEOUL: South Korea´s opposition party on Monday urged the country´s Constitutional Court to rule swiftly on suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol´s impeachment, saying delays were “irresponsible” and causing social unrest.

Yoon was impeached by lawmakers over his disastrous December 3 declaration of martial law, and the court last month held weeks of tense impeachment hearings to decide whether to formally strip him of office.

Despite experts predicting a verdict by mid-March, the Constitutional Court has yet to rule -- making Yoon´s case the longest deliberation in its history. Some 100,000 people took to Seoul´s streets over the weekend, police said Monday, with protests demanding Yoon´s immediate removal from office, alongside large gatherings in support of him.

“The nation and its people have reached their limits. Tension and patience have already been pushed beyond their bounds,” opposition MP Kim Min-seok told a party meeting on Monday. South Korean authorities had last week requested a drone ban in the area around the court, prompting speculation in local media that the ruling would come imminently.