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Police officers in front of a board counting down until the Constitutional Court ruling on the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye (to be made Mar. 10 at 11am)

The question of whether or not Park Geun-hye will be removed from the presidency will be determined on Mar. 10 at 11 am, the Constitutional Court announced on Mar. 8.

The eight Constitutional Court Justices, including acting court President Lee Jung-mi, confirmed the date of the ruling during a deliberative session that began at 3 pm on Mar. 8 and lasted for two and a half hours. Bae Bo-yun, the court’s press secretary, stated that the court had decided to return its decision on Park’s impeachment trial at 11 am on Mar. 10 and that it had informed the prosecutors from the National Assembly and Park’s attorneys about the date of the sentencing.

This will bring the impeachment trial to an end 92 days after the motion of impeachment against Park passed the National Assembly on Dec. 9, 2016, with the support of 234 lawmakers. The question of whether or not Park will be removed from office will ultimately be decided by the judges on the court.

For Park to be removed from office, at least six of the eight judges must uphold the motion of impeachment. If the impeachment is upheld, the sentence will take effect immediately, and Park will be immediately removed from the presidency and stripped of the trappings of her office, except for her security detail. But if three or more of the judges hold that the motion of impeachment should be dismissed or overturned, Park’s powers as president will be immediately restored.

In the time since National Assembly indictment committee member and Righteous Party lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong requested an impeachment trial, the Constitutional Court has held three preliminary hearings and 17 sessions of arguments and questioned 25 witnesses, lasting 84 hours and 45 minutes altogether. After Court President Park Han-chul’s term in office ended on Jan. 31, the eight remaining justices continued the trial. They brought the final arguments to a close on Feb. 27 (despite desperate efforts to prolong the trial by Park‘s attorneys) and confirmed the date of the sentencing after six rounds of deliberations.

While opposition parties expressed their confidence that the motion of impeachment would be upheld, the ruling party is showing caution, insisting on an “acceptable decision.” The sentencing in Park’s impeachment trial will be broadcast live on television. Lee Jung-mi is expected to read a summary of the court’s decision and to announce the ruling at the very end.

If the impeachment is upheld, the next presidential election is likely to take place on May 9. According to the Public Official Election Act, the presidential election must be held within 60 days, and because of a string of public holidays in early May, May 9 is essentially the only day that can be designated as the election day (which is itself a public holiday), the National Election Commission explained.

By Kim Min-kyung and Seok Jin-hwan, staff reporters

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]