Impeached S Korean president decides not to attend final court hearing

File photo shows South Korean President Park Geun-hye delivers her speech during a plenary session at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, February 16, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

SEOUL - South Korean President Park Geun-hye has decided not to attend a final hearing of the constitutional court, which is deliberating Park's impeachment motion, local media reported on Sunday.

The final hearing is scheduled to be held Monday. The court had asked the impeached leader to decide whether to appear at the last pleading session by Sunday to argue her case as a defendant.

The court's ruling on the impeachment bill, which was passed in the parliament on Dec 9, is widely forecast to be made around March 13, the date when the acting chief justice is set to retire. It takes 10-14 days for the court to reach a final conclusion.

To uphold the motion, at least six of the remaining eight justices are required to approve it. The retirement of one more judge can danger the legitimacy of the court's decision.