fully performed his official duties may become the object of the judgment by the public at the next regularly held election. However, under the current Constitution that limits the presidential term to a single term, there is no means to hold the President directly responsible, even politically, let alone legally, toward the public and the President's faithfulness or unfaithfulness in performing his or her official duties may only be politically reflected favorably or unfavorably on the ruling party of which the President is a member. As Article 65(1) of the Constitution limits the ground for impeachment to the 'violation of the Constitution or statutes' and the impeachment adjudication process at the Constitutional Court is solely to determine the existence or the nonexistence of aground for impeachment from a legal standpoint, the ground for impeachment alleged by the petitioner in this case concerning the respondent's faithfulness of the performance of the official duties such as the political incapability or the mistake in policy decisions, cannot in and by itself constitute a ground for impeachment and therefore it is not a subject matter for an impeachment adjudication. F. Sub-conclusion (1) The President's statements at the press conference with six news media organizations in the Seoul-Incheon region on February 18, 2004 and the statements at the press conference with the Korean Network Reporters' Club on February 24, 2004 were in violation of the neutrality obligation owed by public officials provided in Article 9 of the Public Officials Election Act. (2) The act of the President in response to the National Election Commission's March 4, 2004 decision that found a breach of election law by the President was in violation of the President's obligation to protect the Constitution as not in conformity with the principle of the rule of law. The act of the President on October 13, 2003 that proposed a confidence referendum violated the obligation to protect the Constitution as not in conformity with Article 72 of the Constitution. 6. Whether to remove the respondent from office A. Interpretation of Article 53(1) of the Constitutional Court Act Article 65(4) of the Constitution provides that the "effect of the decision of impeachment is limited to the removal of the public official - 194 -

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