Constitutional Court decides to deliver rulings on other impeachments first
The Constitutional Court of Korea announced Tuesday that it will deliver the verdicts in the impeachment trials of the chief state auditor and three prosecutors on Thursday, amid speculation that its ruling on suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment could move to next week.
The court told reporters that its verdicts in four separate impeachment trials ― those of Board of Audit and Inspection Chair Choi Jae-hae and three prosecutors including Chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office Lee Chang-soo ― will be announced Thursday at 10 a.m.
This announcement comes 98 days after the impeachment motions were submitted to the court by the National Assembly.
With the four major rulings set for Thursday, it is likely that Yoon’s case will be announced sometime next week.
The court has stressed that the justices would prioritize Yoon’s case over any other cases. The court has 180 days to either uphold or overturn the suspended president's impeachment.
The rulings Thursday will take effect immediately upon their announcement. If the court upholds the impeachment motions, the officials will be removed from their positions. If the court dismisses the motions, they will return to their respective duties without delay.
BAI Chair Choi Jae-hae faced impeachment over allegations of mishandling the audit process related to the 2022 relocation of the presidential office and residence, as well as for conducting politically motivated audits targeting Jeon Hyun-hee, the former Chair of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.
The National Assembly, which is prosecuting Choi's trial, argued that the state-run audit agency exercised its authority in a "politically motivated manner" under his leadership, allegedly aligning its actions with the interests of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.
Choi denied the allegations, arguing that the Assembly’s impeachment claims are based on what he called distortions and one-sided accusations.
The trial on Choi’s case concluded after a single hearing on Feb. 12.
The three prosecutors ― Lee Chang-soo, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office Jo Sang-won and Head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office Choi Jae-hoon ― were impeached on allegations that they failed to properly investigate the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation case and made false statements during media briefings.
They attended the first hearing of their impeachment trial on Feb. 17.
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, which holds 170 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, has argued that the three prosecutors improperly dropped charges against first lady Kim Keon Hee, violating constitutional and legal principles.
During the final statement on Feb. 24, Lee defended his actions, stating that he thoroughly reviewed the case, respected his investigation team’s opinions and made decisions based on evidence and legal principles. The other prosecutors echoed similar arguments, denying any wrongdoing.
ddd@heraldcorp.com
