PULLED TO THE RIGHT
Bai Byoung-inn, a politics professor at Kookmin University, linked the campaign against the liberal judges to the possible upcoming elections, which must take place 60 days after Yoon is formally removed from office.
“In a way, the PPP’s goal is to wage a war of opinions so as to delay the trial as long as possible,” he said.
But he said “these attacks seem to have gotten out of hand” because of the increased extremism of Yoon’s supporters.
“The result is that the country’s ruling party has been pulled violently to the right, unable to distance themselves from Yoon’s unconstitutional actions,” he told AFP.
Judge Moon has not taken legal action against those spreading disinformation about him, even though libel can be a criminal offence under Korea’s defamation laws.
The court has also declined to comment on most of the individual claims but has firmly rejected accusations that its justices’ personal leanings will influence the verdict.
“This judgment is made by objectively applying the Constitution and laws, not through the individual tendencies of the justices,” a court spokesperson said last month.
“Some politicians and media are distorting the nature of the impeachment trial, and we express concern about how this may damage the judiciary’s authority.”
