Stop mocking top court
Park should speak at final impeachment hearing
In the run-up to the Constitutional Court’s ruling on President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment, her lawyers’ courtroom misbehavior is going too far. Park’s defense team, in particular, is causing deep concern as it has reportedly notified the top court of its intention to disregard the ruling if the impeachment decision is made hastily.
In Wednesday’s hearing at the Constitutional Court, Park’s defense attorneys poured a torrent of rough and inflammatory words insulting justices as if they tried to drive the impeachment trial into catastrophe. It’s no exaggeration to say that the “sacred” courtroom was turned into a scene of contempt of court.
Kim Pyung-woo, a member of the defense team, spent nearly two hours attacking the parliamentary impeachment and justices. Kim, a former head of the Korean Bar Association, ridiculed Kang Il-won, the lead justice in the case, as the “senior spokesman of the National Assembly,” and belittled the impeachment motion as “political oppression that can only be seen in North Korea.” He shocked audiences by claiming that fighting would occur and the streets would be covered with blood unless a fair trial is ensured.
Either of the parties at a trial can show dissatisfaction with court proceedings. But threatening the justice panel by raising the possibility of a civil war is clearly an affront and challenge to the rule of law. It’s deplorable indeed that lawyers, who are entrusted with protecting the law, make such senseless threats.
In Wednesday’s hearing, the court postponed the final hearing from Friday to Monday in response to the lawyers’ request for more time. But the latter repeated their ugly delay tactics, demanding that many more people take the witness stand, which was rejected later.
Not surprisingly, Korean society is torn between “candlelit protesters” who asked for Park’s impeachment and conservative Park supporters who demand her reinstatement. Both sides openly show their intentions not to comply with the ruling if it is not in their favor. Whatever the decision may be, panic seems inevitable.
But it is intolerable to disobey the constitutional ruling, which will be made based on legal principles and evidence. All of us must face up to the reality calmly and comply with the ruling to put an end to the social unrest, which has been gripping the nation since October.
It’s wrong for the lawyers to drag their feet on President Park’s presence at the final hearing to deliver closing arguments. It’s only natural for her to appear at the court to defend herself and undergo questioning by justices. If Park rejects this following her refusal to meet with state prosecutors and the independent counsel team, she will go down as the President who didn’t fulfill her basic duties.