ED Respect constitutional ruling

All sides should accept judgment on presidential impeachment

The Constitutional Court decided last week to hold the final hearing on the National Assembly’s impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, Feb. 24. This means the Constitutional Court’s judgment on the impeachment is expected to be delivered in early March, given that a previous impeachment hearing took two weeks to deliberate.

The President’s legal team, which has deployed various tactics to delay the trial procedure, opposed the court’s decision to wrap up the impeachment hearings later this week and has requested that the final hearing be held on March 2 or March 3. During a Feb. 16 hearing, however, acting Constitutional Court President Lee Jung-mi said trials cannot be allowed to go on for months because of the prolonged leadership vacuum and subsequent social chaos.

It has already been more than 70 days since the Assembly voted to impeach Park, Dec. 19, 2016. The leadership void is much longer than that of the previous presidential impeachment. The late former president Roh Moo-hyun was absent from office for 63 days after the Assembly voted to impeach him in 2004. Since the Choi Soon-sil scandal erupted, the government has not been able to function properly during a time of multiple challenges to our economy, national security and diplomacy. Against this background, the Constitutional Court made a sound decision to conclude the trial at an early date.

The judges should keep in mind the huge impact their ruling will have on the nation’s future. The latest polls show that more than 80 percent of the people believe the President should be found guilty. Public opinion is overwhelmingly against her, but this does not mean she deserves to be removed from office without substantial evidence that proves her wrongdoing. The Constitutional Court should not be swayed by public opinion or politics but ensure that its judgment is based solely on the law and constitutional values.

Cheong Wa Dae has done everything it can to hamper the trial proceedings and the investigation of the special prosecution team. There is not much time left until the court hears closing arguments in the impeachment trial, but the President should appear before it and make her case to the people if she is truly innocent of the charges she faces, including abuse of authority and bribery. She should also allow special prosecutors to question her before their term expires at the end of this month.

The nation has been sharply divided between those who have called for the President’s ouster and her supporters. The judiciary’s judgment must be fully respected by all sides no matter what the ruling. Everyone, including Park, presidential contenders, political parties and the people, should accept the Constitutional Court’s judgment on the legitimacy of the legislative impeachment of Park.