Constitutional Court Delays Ruling on President Yoon's Impeachment

The Constitutional Court of South Korea has not set a date for the ruling on President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment, pushing the decision into April. On March 28, the court held discussions regarding the impeachment but failed to reach a conclusion on the ruling date. If the court announces the date on the first business day of next week, March 31, it is likely that the ruling will occur after the start of April, as the court typically informs parties 2-3 days in advance. This increases the likelihood that the ruling could be scheduled for April 3 or 4. Even if deliberations extend beyond the first week of April, it is expected that a decision will be made before the retirement of Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae and Justice Lee Sun-eun on April 18. Initially, there were expectations for a ruling within March, following the conclusion of the impeachment hearings on February 25. However, with no updates for over a month, concerns have grown regarding the justices' ability to reach a consensus. Meanwhile, the court has been active, issuing rulings on other cases, including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment on March 24 and general constitutional complaints on March 27. Professor Lee In-ho from Chung-Ang University noted that the court may be overwhelmed with other impeachment cases and disputes, making it challenging to focus solely on the presidential impeachment case.