Police buses surround the Constitutional Court in central Seoul, Wednesday, to prevent violent clashes as a verdict on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment nears. Yonhap

As political gridlock deepens over the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, meaningful policy debate has all but vanished from Korea's political landscape.

Following Yoon's sudden release from detention last week ahead of the Constitutional Court's ruling, both the ruling and opposition parties have escalated their rhetoric, with loud protests now dominating the National Assembly. With the Assembly's role as a national representative body increasingly sidelined, concerns are mounting that the growing partisan conflict will not only undermine the court's decision but further destabilize the country, according to experts.

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) said Wednesday that it would not directly confront the opposition's escalating street protests calling for Yoon's impeachment.

"If serious issues arise, the PPP will take collective action, just as the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has. However, we will not resort to street protests or hunger strikes to pressure the Constitutional Court, as the DPK is doing. Instead, we will express our stance through official parliamentary channels," PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong told reporters at the National Assembly in Seoul.

However, the conservative party's decision appears to be driven more by political strategy than policy concerns. The party seems cautious that organizing an official rally could give a platform to the more extreme voices within Yoon's support base, potentially alienating centrist voters, whose support is already fragile.

People Power Party lawmakers Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, second row third from right, and Rep. Kim Meen-geon, second row fourth from right, watch as supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol shave their heads in protest in front of the Constitutional Court in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

In line with this strategy, while the leadership has officially opposed organized collective action, it has allowed individual lawmakers to decide for themselves whether to participate, giving its tacit approval for the protests to persist.

For instance, in addition to 82 PPP lawmakers submitting a petition to the Constitutional Court on Wednesday, urging the dismissal of Yoon's impeachment case, the party launched a 24-hour relay protest in front of the court, with lawmakers taking turns holding solo demonstrations from the afternoon.

On Tuesday, PPP lawmakers Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun and Rep. Kim Meen-geon attended a head-shaving protest by pro-Yoon supporters outside the court, showing their support. The following day, Rep. Na Kyung-won also visited the protest site to offer encouragement to the demonstrators.

Rep. Park Chan-dae, center, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, encourages fellow DPK Rep. Jeon Jin-sook, third from right, after her hair was shaved off, in front of the main building of the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

The head-shaving protests are not limited to the ruling party.

DPK lawmakers set up tents in central Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square earlier this week and have been staging various demonstrations, including head-shaving ceremonies, hunger strikes and protest marches.

First-term lawmakers of the party, including Rep. Jeon Jin-sook, Rep. Park Hong-bae and Rep. Kim Moon-soo, led the head-shaving protest in front of the National Assembly on Tuesday, while the hunger strike expanded with the participation of former South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo, Rep. Park Soo-hyun, Rep. Min Hyung-bae, Rep. Kim Jun-hyuk.

In a statement, they declared, "We urge the Constitutional Court to approve Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment swiftly and decisively. We will fight to the end, guided solely by the will of the people."

Starting on Wednesday, the main opposition party also began a daily march in the afternoon from the National Assembly to the protest site in Gwanghwamun, holding placards demanding Yoon's removal. The party aims to intensify public pressure through these demonstrations.

Democratic Party of Korea leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung, left, speaks with former South Gyeongsang Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo, who is holding a hunger strike in a tent near central Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square, Wednesday. Yonhap

Political experts acknowledged that the escalating conflict cannot be resolved quickly, particularly with the expectation of a snap presidential election in the current political climate. However, they stress that the tense atmosphere needs to be eased in order to maintain the country's political stability.

"Realistically, conflict cannot disappear at this stage. Nevertheless, the leaders of both parties must meet and agree to accept the Constitutional Court's decision in order to ease tensions. It is crucial to calm the situation," Shin Yul, a political commentator and professor at Myongji University, told The Korea Times Wednesday.

Eom Kyung-young, director of the Zeitgeist Institute, a policy think tank in Seoul, also emphasized the need for both sides to step back from their entrenched positions. "The political situation has now escalated into a full-blown battle between conservative and liberal camps," he said.

"Despite the situation seemingly heading toward the downfall of Korean politics, the leaders of both camps are continuing to push for their own political agendas."