Gominjeong, Park Jin on Dismissal Motion: "It Would Have Ended If Yoon Had Apologized"

Rep. Ko: "Minister Park Jin has no choice but to resign voluntarily"
People Power Party submits resolution urging Speaker Kim Jin-pyo to step down

Gominjeong, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Ju-hee] Go Min-jung, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said regarding the opposition party's forced passage of a motion to dismiss Foreign Minister Park Jin over controversies during President Yoon Seok-yeol's overseas trip, "If the president had apologized earlier, this matter would have been resolved by now."

On the 30th, Go said on KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs,' "The president and the presidential office have let this issue snowball, which ultimately led to the motion to dismiss the minister," pointing out the situation.

Go added, "Many people are probably regretting and hitting the ground, asking 'Why wasn't this issue resolved earlier?' but in any case, the water has already been spilled," and pressured, "We should not burden the president. The only escape route left is for Minister Park to voluntarily resign."

Regarding speculation that President Yoon might reject the motion to dismiss Minister Park, Go said, "That is unimaginable," and criticized, "Isn't this a democratic country where the separation of powers among the judiciary, legislature, and executive exists? The National Assembly does not exist just for show."

She continued, "About 19 years ago, Minister Park, as a spokesperson for the then Grand National Party (predecessor of the People Power Party), had a track record of passing a dismissal motion against Minister Kim Doo-kwan of the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs, so he knows better than anyone the circumstances and intentions behind the National Assembly passing a dismissal motion," and said that even if President Yoon exercises his veto, Minister Park should step down voluntarily.

Go, who also serves as the chairperson of the Countermeasures Committee against the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's diplomatic fiasco and lies, said, "Since the national audit will begin next week, the relevant standing committee will closely point out the problems of this diplomatic fiasco," adding, "Our countermeasures committee will play a linking role to ensure thorough verification and audit. Also, we have the responsibility and duty to obtain an apology for President Yoon's verbal abuse."

The People Power Party is strongly opposing this. In a retaliatory move, the People Power Party submitted a resolution urging Speaker Kim Jin-pyo to resign to the National Assembly Secretariat on the 30th. After submitting the resolution, Floor Deputy Leader Song Eon-seok stated, "Considering that the Speaker did not mediate until the end and put forward a contentious agenda between the ruling and opposition parties, I think it is difficult to perform his duties properly."