S Korea opposition urges swift ruling on president's fate
ERZİNCAN
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 Dec. 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 on 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.
"We await a responsible decision from the Constitutional Court. Any further delay would be abnormal and irresponsible."
Police have said they were prepared to mobilize "all available equipment" to prevent unrest when the court announces the impeachment verdict.
Yoon's supporters have already stormed a Seoul court once, smashing the doors and windows of a district court in Seoul after a judge there extended Yoon's detention, and authorities have warned of violence around the impending verdict.
"We are discussing the temporary closure of nearby shops and gas stations on the day of the verdict," a police official told AFP on Monday.
