The fate of South Korea's disgraced President Park Geun-hye will be decided on Friday when constitutional court justices hand down a verdict on the legality of impeachment.
The court said its ruling would come at 11 am (0200 GMT) on Friday in a session to be broadcast live. Impeachment requires approval from at least six of the court's nine justices. There are eight justices after one retired in January.
If the court endorses impeachment, Park would be ousted from the presidential Blu House, paving the way for a presidential election within 60 days. If not, she will be allowed to serve out her five-year-term which ends in February next year.
Park has holed up in her residence since she was impeached in parliament on December 9, refusing to attend court hearings and denying all charges related to her impeachment.
Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com