Will President Yoon's impeachment verdict come next week or early April? Fmr. Court officials give their views

As the Constitutional Court continues to contemplate President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment case, pundits are weighing in with their thoughts regarding the prolonged deliberation.

Our Oh Soo-young reports.

Almost a month has passed with no indication of when President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment verdict will be delivered.

As of Friday, the Constitutional Court has not yet revealed when it will rule on the National Assembly's motion to remove Yoon from power, which was passed in December last year, following the leader's controversial Martial Law.

For more than three weeks, the justices have been convening almost daily to deliberate on the case -a record period of time compared to past presidential impeachments.

It took at most two weeks for verdicts on former presidents Park Geun-hye and Roh Moo-hyun, but there has been no word from the Court as of Friday 24 days since Yoon's final trial hearing was held.

Given that the Constitutional Court notified former leaders two to three days in advance of their respective ruling dates, Yoon's verdict could fall between next Wednesday at the earliest,. and early April before two of the justices retire.

The longer-than-expected deliberation has given rise to plenty of speculation over what's holding up the eight-member bench.

Some believe the justices are working towards a unanimous decision to impeach President Yoon, and are fine-tuning their positions to deliver an indisputable judgment amid fears the result may trigger extreme reactions from the public.

Some speculate the bench are struggling to align their views, given how an earlier impeachment case of Korea Communications Commission chair Lee Jin-sook was dismissed as the justices opinions were split evenly in line with their political orientations.

"It seems the grounds for impeachment are clear and it is hard to dispute the President's declaration of martial law was unconstitutional and unlawful but the justices must determine whether the constitutional violations are severe enough to warrant removal from office. There may be justices who argue that it does not meet the threshold for an impeachable offense."

In any case, the justices are facing growing calls to make a swift decision as Yoon's prolonged suspension from office, hinders effective governance.

"This case is neither legally complex nor presents particularly difficult legal issues. We actually thought a conclusion would come by mid-March at the latest. The prolonged ruling has fueled speculation about political influence but I believe the justices fully understand the gravity and urgency of this case. I don't expect it to be delayed until early April. I believe that by the end of March, the ruling will be delivered one way or another."

Still, the context of the decision and its timing is inevitably political.

Those supporting Yoon's impeachment wish to quickly trigger a snap presidential election, which polls show would favor opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung.

Meanwhile, conservatives including Yoon's supporters are calling for the case to be dismissed, or for the Court to deliver a ruling after Lee Jae-myung's own verdict on Wednesday, March 26th, on one of his five criminal cases.

With pressure coming from every side, the Court faces the challenge of ensuring its constitutional decision doesn't worsen the deep political division in the country.

If at least six justices agree to uphold the presidential impeachment, Yoon will be removed from office immediately, triggering an early election that must be held within 60 days.

If at least three are against impeachment, the President will resume his duties.

Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.