Democratic Party Submits Motion to Dismiss Lee Sang-min... "Giving President Yoon One More Chance"

"Impeachment Proceedings to Begin if Dismissal Refused"
"Legal Review on Impeachment Completed"

On the 30th, Seongon Wi and Sujin Lee, the Deputy Floor Leader and Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, submitted a motion to dismiss Minister Sangmin Lee of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to the National Assembly's Legislative Affairs Office. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The Democratic Party of Korea submitted a motion to dismiss Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min to the National Assembly on the 30th. The Democratic Party warned that if President Yoon Seok-yeol does not accept the dismissal motion, they will initiate impeachment proceedings.

On the same day, Wi Seong-gon, the Democratic Party's senior deputy floor leader, and Lee Su-jin, the party's floor spokesperson, submitted the dismissal motion to the National Assembly in the name of all Democratic Party members.

Senior Deputy Floor Leader Wi stated, "The motion includes criticisms that Minister Lee, despite anticipating a large crowd on the day of the disaster, failed to prepare measures to minimize it; that as the person responsible for police and fire safety affairs related to disaster safety, he did not actively respond to emergency rescue reports on the day of the disaster; that as the national disaster safety management official, he was preoccupied with downplaying the disaster and avoiding responsibility; and that as the police commander, thorough investigation into the Itaewon disaster should have been conducted to identify the causes and facts and punish those responsible, but the investigations by the National Police Agency and the Special Investigation Headquarters remained limited to frontline police officers and firefighters."

Regarding the possibility that President Yoon may not accept the dismissal motion even if it passes the plenary session of the National Assembly, Senior Deputy Floor Leader Wi said, "The legal review on impeachment has already been completed."

Spokesperson Lee said, "(Submitting the dismissal motion) is giving President Yoon one more chance," adding, "There is still time to respond to the people's mandate, public demand, and questions from the families of the victims."