Support 179, Oppose 109, Invalid 5
[Asia Economy Reporters Oh Ju-yeon, Park Jun-i, Na Ju-seok] The impeachment motion against Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, passed the National Assembly plenary session on the 8th. This is the first time in constitutional history that an impeachment motion against a Cabinet member has passed the National Assembly.
The impeachment motion against Minister Lee was approved on the afternoon of the 8th at the National Assembly plenary session, with 293 out of 299 members present voting: 179 in favor, 109 against, and 5 abstentions.
Except for the president, an impeachment motion requires the support of at least one-third (100 members) of the total members of the National Assembly to be proposed, and a majority (150 members) to be approved. On the 7th, the three opposition parties?the Democratic Party, the Justice Party, and the Basic Income Party?proposed the impeachment motion against Minister Lee with 173 signatures, and on the day of the vote, 179 members voted in favor in a secret ballot, passing the motion.
Once the certified copy of the impeachment resolution is delivered to the Constitutional Court, the impeachment trial procedure will begin. Additionally, copies of the resolution will be delivered to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Minister Lee personally. After delivery, Minister Lee’s duties will be suspended.
The plenary session on that day did not immediately proceed to the vote on Minister Lee’s impeachment motion. First, the People Power Party submitted a motion to refer the impeachment motion to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee for discussion. However, it was rejected amid opposition from opposition party members. Subsequently, a motion to change the order of business related to the impeachment motion was put to a vote. Speaker Kim Jin-pyo had initially prepared the agenda so that the impeachment motion would be considered after the government questioning session. However, since all Democratic Party members submitted a motion to change the agenda, the vote could be held before the government questioning session. The motion to change the order of business was passed with opposition party members voting in favor and ruling party members opposing it.
Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seung-won, in his explanatory remarks on the impeachment motion, named each of the 107 victims of the Itaewon tragedy whose families had agreed to disclose their names. He added, "There are about 50 other victims," and said, "I am truly sorry that we could not protect them." After revealing the process of recommending Minister Lee’s dismissal following the Itaewon tragedy, Kim pointed out issues related to responsibility that arose during the parliamentary investigation. At the end of his explanation, he said, "I hope it will be recorded that the state acknowledged its failure to protect its citizens and that the National Assembly held the government accountable so that such a tragedy never happens again, even if only after the fact. Fellow senior and junior lawmakers, beyond party and factional lines, as members of the National Assembly who love the people, please protect the people."
Lee Jong-cheol, representative of the Itaewon Victims’ Families Association, met with reporters immediately after the impeachment motion passed the plenary session and said, "Regarding the deaths of 159 victims, was the constitution truly upheld?" He added, "In a situation where the government remains completely silent, I am grateful that the National Assembly has finally taken the role it can play."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
