SEOUL, March 19 (UPI) -- Main opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday called for South Korea's Constitutional Court to issue its decision on whether to uphold the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, as an anxious and divided public awaits a verdict that has dragged on longer than anticipated.
Lee made the demand during a Democratic Party meeting held in a tent in downtown Seoul, where its lawmakers are rallying for Yoon's impeachment.
The 61-year-old lawmaker said that the fallout from Yoon's short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3 is severely damaging democracy at home and weakening South Korea's international standing.
"The failure of the Yoon Seok Yeol administration and the Dec. 3 martial law are ultimately ruining the entire country," Lee said.
He cited the postponement of a visit to South Korea by U.S. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth -- confirmed Monday by Seoul's Defense Ministry -- as evidence of the lingering damage of a leadership vacuum as Yoon's fate remains uncertain.
"Only by restoring normal leadership can we overcome the current crisis, " Lee said. "Now is the time for everyone to join forces to quickly normalize South Korea. I once again urge the Constitutional Court to make a swift ruling."
Yoon was impeached on Dec. 14 by the National Assembly over his shocking attempt to impose martial law, which was overturned in a matter of hours by lawmakers.
The Constitutional Court, which must decide to uphold the impeachment or reject it and return Yoon to office, heard final arguments in the weeks-long trial on Feb. 25. A decision was widely expected by mid-March, based on the timelines of two previous impeachment proceedings.
However, the court has not yet indicated a verdict date, as uncertainty swirls and demonstrations on both sides of the issue swell nationwide.
Yoon supporters have staged protests and sit-ins outside his residence and the Constitutional Court for months, with scenes at times turning violent. In January, dozens of angry protesters stormed Seoul's Western District Court after Yoon was formally arrested for his martial law attempt, breaking windows, destroying property and injuring 17 police officers.
On Wednesday, Lee Jae-myung was seen wearing a bulletproof vest as he appeared in public. Police dispatched bodyguards a day earlier for Lee's protection at the request of the Democratic Party, citing assassination threats.
South Korean police said Wednesday that they would mobilize 14,000 riot police officers -- some 60% of their available force -- on the day of the Constitutional Court ruling.
At the same time, protests demanding Yoon's impeachment have grown, with a massive turnout in downtown Seoul over the weekend and flag-waving crowds gathering outside of the landmark Gyeongbokgung Palace each evening. On Wednesday, signs, effigies of Yoon and tents were set up in front of the palace, including one housing several opposition lawmakers who were on the ninth day of a hunger strike calling for impeachment.
Public opinion is strongly in favor of Yoon's removal from office. In a recent survey by pollster Gallup Korea, 58% percent of respondents said Yoon's impeachment should be upheld, while 37% said it should be dismissed.
If the impeachment is confirmed by the court, a snap presidential election must be held within 60 days. Lee Jae-myung, the presumptive Democratic Party nominee, is the strong frontrunner but is facing legal hurdles of his own.
In a poll released Monday by Realmeter Korea, 46.9% of respondents found Lee the most suitable candidate for president and he won by decisive margins in various hypothetical head-to-head matchups. However, Lee is awaiting a verdict next week on his appeal over an election law violation conviction from November.
If the ruling is confirmed, the court could impose a penalty large enough to cause Lee to lose his parliamentary seat and render him ineligible to run in the presidential race. Lee, who lost to Yoon by a razor-thin margin in the 2022 presidential election, is also facing criminal trials on charges including bribery and corruption.