Will Constitutional Court rule for or against PM Han Duck-soo's impeachment?

As we begin our newscast, we're just moments away from the Constitutional Court ruling on Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment.

Before we bring the result to you, we connect with our correspondent Oh Soo-young who is standing by at the Court.

Sooyoung, the verdict will be delivered in the next few minutes, right?

That's right, at 10 AM, the Court is set to determine whether Han will be removed from office or reinstated after nearly three months of suspension.

The National Assembly impeached Han 87 days ago, citing 5 grounds for impeachment including his handling of the December 3rd martial law declaration, exercise of veto power, and failure to appoint Constitutional Court justices.

The ruling requires a two-thirds majority of the eight justices to be upheld.

In a separate trial, the Court ruled in favor of the National Assembly, that the current Acting President Choi Sang-mok acted unconstitutionally by not appointing all three candidates but just two.

So the question here is whether the judicial bench sees Han's actions as deserving impeachment.

Another key question is whether the impeachment motion passed by the opposition party's simple majority in parliament was valid in impeaching Han, who was also Acting President.

A two-thirds majority is needed for the Assembly to remove a president.

If Han is removed, it will be the first time a South Korean Prime Minister and acting president has been ousted through impeachment.

If the case is dismissed, Han will immediately return to his duties including the role of acting president.

In the meantime, tension is high both inside and outside the court, as pundits reckon this ruling could be a preview of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment verdict.

Security has been tightened around the court with extra metal barriers installed as crowds are expected to rally.

Okay, so you will update us as soon as you hear the outcome.

Of course.

Great. Before we hear the verdict, let's turn to some other stories.