Following the Constitutional Court's ruling on Friday to dismiss President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, police said they would continue to provide security for the justices for the time being.
"Protection will remain in place until it is deemed that there is no longer a threat to their safety," a police official said.
Dedicated security teams have been assigned to each justice, with regular patrols also conducted around their residences.
The Constitutional Court justices are appointed equally by the president, the National Assembly and the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
The decision was delivered by eight Constitutional Court justices. Of them, Justices Moon, Lee and Jung Gye-seon are considered to have liberal leanings, while Chung Hyung-sik and Cho are viewed as conservative.
Moon and Lee were appointed by former President Moon Jae-in; Kim and Chung by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Myeong-soo; and Cho and Jung Gye-seon by the People Power Party and the Democratic Party of Korea, respectively.
One seat on the court has remained vacant since the term of former Justice Lee Jong-seok expired in September.
As the court held eleven hearings between Jan. 14 and Feb. 25, justices faced threats to their personal safety and became targets of misinformation campaigns. When deliberations extended past the expected two weeks, the attacks intensified.
Chief Justice Moon faced the most intense attacks, including false rumors tied to an alumni website — amplified by the ruling party before it issued an apology — and protests outside his home.
Justices were also targeted by online conspiracy theories and doxxing. In response, the Constitutional Court boosted security and asked the press to limit coverage of justices' commutes. Most refrained from public outings due to safety concerns. On January 24, a court spokesperson stressed that external pressure would not affect the justices’ independent, law-based rulings.
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