Stop dangerous rhetoric undermining the Constitutional Court’s authority

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Stop dangerous rhetoric undermining the Constitutional Court’s authority

Published: 03 Apr. 2025, 00:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Police guard the closed exit of Anguk Station in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 2, two days before the Constitutional Court's ruling on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment.[YONHAP]

As Korea’s Constitutional Court prepares to rule on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, political tensions are mounting. Demonstrators have already gathered outside the court, and rival protests by groups for and against his impeachment are expected to fill the streets of central Seoul on the day of the verdict.

Police sealed off a 150-meter (492-foot) perimeter around the court with police buses on Tuesday, creating a “vacuum zone,” and plan to issue the highest-level emergency alert on the day of the ruling. Authorities hope this will prevent confrontations between opposing groups.

Yet what poses an even greater risk than street protests is the wave of inflammatory rhetoric from political leaders, some of whom are pre-emptively rejecting the court’s authority.

Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Park Hong-keun wrote on Facebook that if the ruling is dismissed due to a vacancy on the bench, opposition parties and civic groups should “declare they will not accept the decision.” Fellow DP Rep. Park Ji-won escalated the language further, branding any justice who votes to dismiss the case a “second Lee Wan Yong,” invoking the name of a historical figure widely reviled as a traitor. Such statements disregard judicial independence and fuel public distrust.

On the other side, Kim Yong-Won, a senior member of the National Human Rights Commission, warned that upholding the impeachment could spark “massive protests” and potentially lead to “direct attacks” on the justices. Language like this not only predicts violence — it risks inciting it.

Acting President Han Duck-soo, center, speaks during a Cabinet meeting held at the government complex in central Seoul on April 1. [YONHAP]

Acting President Han Duck-soo has urged politicians to place national stability above political interests. It is a call that deserves to be heard.

In this volatile moment, political leaders must temper their words. Their role is not to deepen division but to protect democratic norms. Peaceful protest must be respected, but illegal or violent acts must be met with a firm response. Whatever the outcome, the court’s decision must be accepted.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.