The Biden administration’s plan to provide student loan debt relief is facing a critical moment as it awaits major rulings from the Supreme Court. The plan aims to discharge billions of dollars of student loan debt and has been blocked by lower courts, leaving its fate in the hands of skeptical conservative justices. If implemented, the program could offer up to $20,000 in debt relief to 43 million eligible individuals, with an estimated cost exceeding $400 billion. President Biden made addressing student loan debt a key promise during his campaign, particularly targeting younger voters. The Supreme Court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, has 30 cases to rule on in its current term. Two of these cases involve Biden’s debt relief plan, one brought by several states and the other by individuals holding student loan debt. During oral arguments in February, conservative justices expressed doubts about the administration’s authority to forgive large amounts of student debt. The court’s decisions are expected to be issued throughout June, potentially putting the court in the spotlight after controversial rulings on issues such as abortion rights and gun rights. In a separate case, the Supreme Court recently allowed a $6 billion settlement that will cancel thousands of student loan debts.

The settlement pertains to loans taken out based on misrepresentations by for-profit schools. The case is unrelated to Biden’s broader effort to forgive student loan debt and has no impact on his pending plan. Another case the Supreme Court will hear alongside the Biden administration’s appeal involves two individuals who claim the administration failed to follow the correct procedure in announcing the loan forgiveness plan. The court will determine whether the plaintiffs have standing to bring the lawsuit and if the plan is lawful. The challenge to the program faces obstacles in demonstrating standing and convincing the conservative-leaning court of its legality, given their skepticism of broad assertions of federal power. The program has been on hold since October, and the application process has been closed. Borrowers currently have payment relief under a separate pandemic-related presidential order. In summary, the fate of Biden’s student debt relief plan hangs in the balance as it awaits rulings from the Supreme Court. The conservative-leaning court’s skepticism of executive power and the program’s potential violation of the Constitution and federal law pose significant challenges. The rulings, along with others the court is set to issue, will attract attention and scrutiny after previous controversial decisions. The administration’s plan to discharge billions of dollars in student loan debt is politically significant for President Biden and could provide relief to millions of borrowers if upheld by the court.

JULIE KIM

US ASIA JOURNAL

South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Friday ruled unanimously to remove President Park Geun-hye from office, the capstone of a sweeping corruption scandal that has engulfed the country for months.

“Hereby, in a unanimous decision, the court issues the verdict: the court rules to expel President Park Geun-hye,” acting Chief Justice Lee Jung-mi said in a nationally televised ruling.

With the decision, which is final and unchangeable, Park has become the nation’s first democratically elected leader to be ousted by impeachment. The nation now must hold a presidential election within 60 days, making it likely to fall on May 9.

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who has been substituting for Park since her parliamentary impeachment on Dec. 9, will continue to lead the nation until the next leader is elected.

President Park retreats after addressing the nation over the Choi Soon-sil scandal in November last year. (Yonhap)

“Her violations of the law betrayed the public trust and they are too serious to be tolerated for the sake of protecting the Constitution,” said Lee who read out the verdict.

Park had abused her presidential authority to help her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil, who holds no government post, pursue personal gains, she added. Choi’s meddling in state affairs was extensive throughout Park’s entire time in office, and Park even attempted to conceal her wrongdoings when the scandal laid them bare.

“The interest of guarding the Constitution by firing her is judged to be overwhelmingly great,” she concluded.

Park offered no message of concession. Her Liberty Korea Party, however, accepted the decision and apologized to the public for its failure to assist the president as the ruling party.

Violence erupted near the court, as thousands of staunch Park supporters protested the ruling. They angrily reacted, shouting, shedding tears and even hitting police officers. Two died of injuries while protesting and the causes of their deaths are still unknown, the police said. Acting President Hwang, in a public statement, called on both supporters and opponents of the ousted Park to accept the ruling and restore national unity.

Park was impeached on a total of 13 charges, which the court bundled into five categories — bribery, abuse of authority, Choi’s manipulation of power behind the scenes, failure to protect people’s lives and violation of press freedom.

The court recognized Park’s active involvement in leaking government secrets to Choi and assisting Choi’s profit-making activities through public entities.

But it did not acknowledge Park’s other charges — her abuse of authority in sacking officials not in Choi’s favor, her negligence of duty in protecting people’s lives during the Sewol ferry disaster and her crackdown on press freedom.

One of Park’s lawyers for the impeachment trial called the ruling “biased.”
“Our suspicions about the court’s secret communications with the parliament turned out to be correct,” Seo Seog-goo, one of Park’s lawyers, told reporters. “I don’t think the trial was purely based on law and conscience.”

The parliament, which served as the prosecution in the impeachment trial, hailed the decision, adding the nation should now stand united.

“I believe that the ruling confirmed the rule of law and people’s sovereignty, which embodies that every person, even the president, is equal before the law. The owner of the country is the people, and all power comes from the people,” said Kwon Seong-dong, the chairman of the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee.

“Those who held candles or national flags, they are all our people who we should respect and love. There is no victor or loser in this case,” he added.
President Park, who did not turn up at the courtroom throughout the trial, also did not attend the verdict hearing. She reportedly watched the ruling via TV at her residence in the presidential office.

Park’s departure is unlikely to put an end to the months-long crisis, which has caused the country to become deeply divided on generational and ideological lines in the face of the conservative leader’s impeachment.

While opponents of Park gear up to hold a rally to celebrate the result Saturday, Park’s die-hard supporters are set to pour onto the streets to condemn the top court.

Tensions ran high from Thursday evening near the court, as avid protesters for and against former President Park staged rallies in front of the building in last-bid attempts to make their voices heard.

The police raised the level of alert to its highest Friday, dispatching all forces available to mobilize in the nation’s capital. Scores of police buses and some 21,600 officers formed lines to cordon off the court and government offices from mass protests and possible eruptions of violence.

While a majority of the public heaved a sigh of relief and expressed joy at the Constitutional Court’s decision to finalize the impeachment of the disgraced leader, a smaller group of staunch Park supporters vehemently protested. Two died of injuries while protesting.

Park supporters shed tears (The Korea Herald)

Even before dawn, the tension was palpable near the top court in central Seoul, with the streets filled with protestors rallying for and against Park.

From 7:50 a.m., Park’s loyal supporters started to chant “reject the impeachment” and began singing Korean folk songs.

“I arrived here around dawn, as I was so worried that the eight justices may make a wrong decision, influenced by biased media and prosecutors,” a 63-year-old Park supporter, Shim Min-sik, told The Korea Herald.

Across the street, an estimated 1,000 anti-Park protesters held placards that read “We trust in you, the Constitutional Court,” “Impeach the President” and “Send Park to prison.”

When the verdict hearing commenced at 11 a.m., people on both sides of the street fixed their eyes on smartphone screens and listened closely, as the court’s acting Chief Justice Lee Jung-mi read the verdict for about 20 minutes.

As it became clear that the court’s decision was against Park, a loud clamor “We won!” and clapping rippled through the crowd on the anti-Park side.

Some shed tears of joy, shouting, “Democracy has won!”

Anti-Park protesters rejoice (The Korea Herald)

“We are one step closer to making Korea a true democracy. The Constitutional Court’s ruling was the same as what most people had expected,” said 53-year-old Kwon Hyuk-chul, who was clapping enthusiastically.

Just 100 meters away, across the street, others let out deep sighs, with a few elderly men tilting their heads and asking one another, “Did the court really say Park is expelled?”

The pro-Park protestors burst into a rendition of the national anthem in tears, chanting “We are one until the end.”

“I can’t believe they really impeached someone who did nothing wrong. This is complete nonsense,” a pro-Park supporter told The Korea Herald.

Later at around 1 p.m., a 72-year-old man surnamed Kim was found bleeding from his head on the ground during a violent street rally in central Seoul in protest against the Constitutional Court’s decision. He was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead there at around 1:50 p.m., according to the police.

The other man, also surnamed Kim, 60, was found unconscious at a subway station near the court at around 12:15 p.m., police said.

At least 10 more have been taken to hospitals for injuries as of Friday at 5 p.m., with two of them unconscious, the police said.

Pro-Park groups said that they will continue their protest, with a nonstop sit-in near the court. They also vowed to begin a signature-collecting campaign calling for Park’s reinstatement.

A man is injured (The Korea Herald)

The nation was on high alert Friday due to the historic ruling, which decided the fate of Park’s presidency amid a sharp divide among the public over what to do with her.

After the verdict was announced, acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn ordered heightened military and police vigilance to maintain public safety.

Police buses line up next to the Constitutional Court (The Korea Herald)

Some 21,000 police officers were dispatched near the court. A dozen police buses were lined up to block access to the Constitutional Court, the Blue House and other major locations of possible clashes. The police used tear gas, at one point after the verdict, to disperse angry demonstrators.

The anti-Park protesters, who have been holding candlelight vigils almost every Saturday evening since the scandal erupted in late October, gathered in Gwanghwamun Square at 7 p.m. to celebrate their victory.

They said they will hold the last candlelight vigil on Saturday at 4 p.m., ending the monthslong campaign to expel Park on a high note.

Chae Young-hyun, one of the lucky 24 who was invited to the courtroom in an online random selection, said he felt gratitude at being able to witness the historic scene.

“I did not expect to be one of the lucky 24. I’m satisfied with the court’s decision,” said the 59-year-old teacher from South Gyeongsang Province.

“Those who commit a crime must follow the verdict and get punishment. I hope today’s verdict will set a cornerstone for Korea to develop as a constitutional nation,” Chae told The Korea Herald.

Children protest against former-President Park Geun-hye (The Korea Herald)

The Constitutional Court said Thursday that a total of 19,096 citizens applied to enter the courtroom as part of the audience to hear the final verdict on Park’s impeachment trial. A total of 24 citizens were selected randomly online.

By Kim Da-sol, Bak Se-hwan

Staff reporters Ock Hyun-ju, Son Ji-hyoung, Shim Woo-hyun, Jung Min-kyung contributed to this article.