[Photo Politics] Will the Minister Dismissal Bill 'Veto' Resurface?

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Dong-joo] The Democratic Party of Korea submitted a motion to dismiss Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min to the National Assembly plenary session on the 8th, urging President Yoon Seok-yeol to make a decision. This is the second ministerial dismissal motion in the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, following Foreign Minister Park Jin.

Minister of the Interior and Safety Sang-min Lee, whose dismissal proposal was reported, is leaving the plenary hall after the completion of the processing of bills related to the Administrative Safety Committee at the plenary session held at the National Assembly on the 8th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

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

Park Hong-geun, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, expressed a strong determination to handle the dismissal of Minister Lee, stating, "We plan to process the dismissal motion first, and if President Yoon rejects the dismissal, we will proceed with an impeachment motion."

Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is holding a '2023 Budget Proposal Press Conference' at the National Assembly on the 8th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Park Hong-geun, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending a party meeting held at the National Assembly on the 7th and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Originally, the Democratic Party planned to vote on the dismissal motion for Minister Lee, which was proposed on the 30th of last month, during last week's plenary session, but the plan was canceled as the plenary session did not take place.

Speaker of the National Assembly Kim Jin-pyo, People Power Party Floor Leader Joo Ho-young, and Democratic Party Floor Leader Park Hong-geun are exchanging greetings before holding a meeting at the Speaker's office in the National Assembly on the 8th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

The ruling and opposition parties are also engaged in a tense standoff over the budget for the next year.

The People Power Party is pressuring the opposition, saying, "Since the new National Assembly Act was implemented in 2014, the budget bill has never passed beyond the regular session," while the Democratic Party insists that unless tax cuts for a tiny number of super-rich are withdrawn, it will revise the budget bill prepared by the Democratic Party itself.

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, is taking off his mask to speak at the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 9th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Jin Jeong-seok, Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, and Joo Ho-young, Floor Leader, are attending the Emergency Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 8th. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

The ruling and opposition parties are fiercely clashing over Minister Lee Sang-min's dismissal motion and the budget bill until the last day of the regular session. If the budget bill is not passed during the regular session, discussions on the budget bill are expected to continue in the extraordinary session starting on the 10th.