Police are on guard at the gate of the constitutional court.[Yonhap News Photo ]
South Korean police heightened vigilance Thursday on the eve of a court ruling on the fate of disgraced President Park Geun-hye who has shrugged off widespread public calls to step down for her involvement in a corruption scandal.
National Police Agency chief Lee Chul-sung urged all 140,000 policemen to prevent any violent and illegal protests that may erupt after the constitutional court handed down a verdict at 11 am (0200 GMT) Friday.
If the court endorses impeachment, Park would be ousted from the presidential Blu House, paving the way for a presidential election within 60 days. If not, she will be allowed to serve out her five-year-term which ends in February next year.
Park has holed up in her residence since she was impeached in parliament on December 9, refusing to attend court hearings and denying all charges related to her impeachment.
If the court endorses impeachment, Park would be ousted from the presidential Blu House to face an interrogation by prosecutors, paving the way for a presidential election within 60 days. If not, she should overcome endless political turmoil and protests to serve out her five-year-term which ends in February next year.
Park was impeached by parliament on December 9 at the height of anti-government protests that have seen millions of citizens taking to the streets in an unprecedented demonstration of people power.
Since late October, the scandal has put South Korea into a political quagmire, paralyzing state affairs and aggravating economic woes. But Park, who took office in early 2013 as South Korea's first female president, has refused to step down by herself.
Park faces charges that she violated the people's sovereignty and the rule of law, abused her power, infringed on the freedom of the press, neglected her duty to protect the right to life, and took part in bribery and other crimes.
She is accused of allowing her friend Choi Soon-sil -- without any government post or security clearance -- to meddle in important state affairs. Choi is on trial for siphoning off money from two public foundations created with cash donations from dozens of conglomerates, while Park's aides have been charged with peddling influence to collect money from businessmen.
Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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