Gamblers bet on South Korean president's fate
Polymarket, the world's largest cryptocurrency-based political betting site, is taking bets on Yoon's fate.
Its yes/no wager -- "Yoon out as president of South Korea before April?" -- has so far attracted more than $15 million in bets.
As of Monday, the majority of gamblers -- 68 percent -- were betting on Yoon's ouster.
A $1 bet on "Yes" -- meaning the court will approve the impeachment motion and strip him of his duties -- would return $1.47.
But should the court throw out his impeachment motion, those who correctly predicted the disgraced president's continued political survival stand to pocket $3.03 for every dollar gambled.
The Yoon speculation appeared on the New York-based trading platform on December 5.
This was just two days after the 64-year-old plunged democratic South Korea into political turmoil by suspending civilian rule with his stunning martial law declaration -- the country's first such move in more than 40 years.
Yoon's martial law lasted only about six hours after lawmakers rushed to vote it down.
The former prosecutor was detained in a dawn raid in January on insurrection charges, though he was released earlier this month on procedural grounds.
Despite experts predicting a verdict by mid-March, the Constitutional Court has yet to rule, making Yoon's case the longest deliberation in its history.
Pro- and anti-Yoon protesters have been taking to the streets of Seoul every weekend to push for his ouster or his reinstatement to the presidency.
To remove Yoon from the highest elected office, six of the eight sitting Constitutional Court justices must rule in favour of the impeachment motion.
On the betting platform, gamblers are also having a bit of fun with their usernames.
The largest "Yes" position is held by a user named "JaemeongLee" -- a reference to opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who would likely run for president should Yoon be formally impeached.
Yoon's removal from office would trigger elections that must be held within 60 days.
The largest "No" investor is a user going by the name "LadyGunhee," an apparent nod to South Korea's First Lady Kim Keon Hee.