Assembly speaker calls for national unity after impeachment ruling

Published : Mar 9, 2017 - 14:21 Updated : Mar 9, 2017 - 14:21

National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun on Thursday said South Korea should seek to normalize state affairs after the Constitutional Court delivers its final ruling on the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye later this week.

The court is set to determine the fate of Park on Friday, who was impeached by parliament in December over a corruption scandal.

If the court upholds the impeachment, Park will be removed from office permanently. In case of the opposite decision, she will immediately return to duty.

National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun (standing) speaks in a meeting with senior lawmakers in Seoul on March 9, 2017. (Yonhap)

"For at least 100 days, or even up to six months, the country failed to function normally, causing many people to suffer," Chung said during a meeting with senior lawmakers from rival parties.

Chung said the senior lawmakers must play key roles in bringing people together and allow the country to take steps forward.

The speaker also expressed concerns over Bareun Party lawmakers' threat to resign en masse if the Constitutional Court rejects the impeachment.

"If such things occur, I will be most frustrated. I hope it will not be realized," Chung said.

On Thursday, the Bareun Party, which spun off from the ruling party earlier this year, reiterated that its lawmakers will step down if the court does not approve the ouster of Park, who was impeached by the parliament in December on a corruption scandal.

"Either side will be emotionally troubled a little in accepting the result (from the Constitutional Court) tomorrow," Chung said, expressing hope that the people will eventually regain their composure. (Yonhap)