Religious leaders call for unity as the country waits for the ruling on Yoon's impeachment

As South Korea awaits the Constitutional Court's decision on impeaching the president, the leaders of the country's main religious groups call for unity and respect for the court’s decision. Tensions have risen after Yoon's recent release from prison, putting security forces on alert. Meanwhile, support for the ruling party is also up.

Seoul (AsiaNews) – The leaders of South Korea's main religious faiths have issued a statement calling on their fellow countrymen and women to respect the decision of the Constitutional Court on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, expected this week.

“The Constitutional Court, as the last bastion of the Republic of Korea, will render a fair verdict, and the people, the government, and the political circles must all respect and accept its decision,” reads the leaders’ press release, titled “The Republic of Korea, Let's Move Forward as One”.

For the religious leaders, “This is the only way to regain the trust of the people and rebuild the broken order” amid a climate of conflict and mistrust that has spread in the last three months following the proclamation of martial law by President Yoon, an event that triggered a serious national crisis.

“What is most painful is the reality that the confrontation and conflict in the political sphere are spreading and creating deep wounds among the people,” the statement goes on to say. “It's time to stop strife and move beyond conflict to unity. [. . .] It is time for the ruling and opposition parties to join hands for the sake of the people, not to fight each other.”

The ruling of the Constitutional Court will determine whether the president is removed from office, but this has generated tensions, forcing security forces to be on high alert, as thousands of people prepare to take to the streets both for and against the president.

"We are setting up plans considering the worst-case scenarios,” said Lee Ho-young, Acting Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, speaking at a press conference.

As a precaution, schools located near the courthouse have been advised to close or take security measures, while public transport will avoid the stop closest to the Constitutional Court, the police chief added.

In addition to impeachment, President Yoon is involved in another criminal case for insurrection.

Meanwhile, the Seoul District Court on Friday cancelled the arrest warrant against the president, who spent almost two months under house arrest. This decision has aroused mixed reactions in public opinion and political parties.

Yesterday, thousands of the president’s supporters gathered near his home to express their opposition to the impeachment process.

While today Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung said he respected the court’s decision, he did not agree with its assessment, confirming that his office would push ahead with the trial.

“I’ve directed that the prosecution makes arguments on various disputes during the trial, and we’ll do everything we can to pursue this indictment,” he told reporters.

Polls conducted following Yoon's release show a rise in popular support for the president's party, the People Power Party (PPP), and a growing expectation that the current administration will remain in power.

The PPP's approval rate reached 42.7 per cent, ahead of the Democratic Party of Korea (PDK) (41 per cent), the main opposition political party, which has controlled the National Assembly since 2023.

Similarly, the percentage of voters who would like the opposition to take power dropped from 55.1 per cent to 50.4 per cent, while those who prefer the PPP increased from 39 per cent to 44 per cent.

These numbers signal a shift. Until recently, as the Korea Times noted, a growing number of voters expected an opposition candidate to replace Yoon in the event of early elections.

If the Constitutional Court were to confirm the impeachment and remove the president from office, new elections will have to be called within 60 days.

• south korea
• constitutional court
• impeachment
• president
• yoon suk-yeol
• surveys