People Power Party "Wielding power arbitrarily... Strongly condemn"
Presidential Office's 'Shameful History' remark
Opposition "If you have a conscience, don't spout nonsense" enraged
[Asia Economy reporters Oh Ju-yeon, Geum Bo-ryeong, Park Jun-i] On the 8th, the ruling and opposition parties exchanged sharp criticisms regarding the passage of the impeachment motion against Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min at the National Assembly plenary session. The People Power Party criticized it as a 'parliamentary outrage,' while the Democratic Party and the Justice Party evaluated it as 'too little, too late,' stating that responsibility must now be taken for the Itaewon tragedy. In particular, there was a somewhat intense reaction within the Democratic Party to the presidential office's remark that it would be "recorded as a shameful history."
On the 8th, at the plenary session held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, a motion to change the agenda to handle the impeachment proposal against the Minister of the Interior and Safety (Sang-min Lee) before the government questioning was passed. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
At the National Assembly plenary session held on the afternoon of the 8th, the impeachment motion against Minister Lee was passed with 179 votes in favor, 109 against, and 5 invalid votes out of 293 members present among 299 total members. This is the first time in constitutional history that an impeachment motion against a cabinet member has passed the National Assembly.
Except for the president, an impeachment motion requires the support of at least one-third (100 members) of the total National Assembly members to be proposed and a majority (150 members) of the total members to pass. On the 7th, the three opposition parties?the Democratic Party, Justice Party, and Basic Income Party?proposed the impeachment motion against Minister Lee with 173 signatures, and on this day, 179 members voted in favor in a secret ballot, passing the motion.
Initially, Speaker Kim Jin-pyo planned to submit the impeachment motion after the government questioning session, but the Democratic Party pushed for a change in the agenda to prioritize the impeachment motion. With the passage of the impeachment motion against Minister Lee on this day, his duties were immediately suspended. It is expected that Deputy Minister Han Chang-seop will take over the duties in an acting capacity.
The People Power Party criticized the passage of the impeachment motion against Minister Lee immediately after the vote, stating, "We condemn the Democratic Party's parliamentary outrage in the name of the people."
Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at a rally condemning the passage of the impeachment motion against Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Interior and Safety, held on the Rotunda Hall stairs after the impeachment motion was passed at the National Assembly plenary session in Yeouido, Seoul on the 8th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
Senior Spokesperson Park Jeong-ha said, "Today, the National Assembly was a stage for the Democratic Party's parliamentary outrage, wielding power arbitrarily," adding, "This day will be recorded in history as the day when the parliamentary power entrusted by the people was abused."
He continued, "The People Power Party expresses deep regret and strongly condemns this unconstitutional and baseless impeachment motion," and criticized, "Be aware that there will be clear responsibility for the Democratic Party's ignorant and reckless behavior to shield Lee Jae-myung without properly verifying even the basic facts or precedents in the rulings."
On this day, the People Power Party also held a rally condemning the forced passage of the impeachment motion. Immediately after the vote, they gathered in front of the National Assembly plenary hall, shouting slogans such as "Condemn the impeachment motion."
On the other hand, the Democratic Party evaluated that it was too late to begin the dismissal of the primary person responsible for the Itaewon tragedy, which occurred over 100 days ago.
Members of the Democratic Party's "Action Group for Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor and Lee Sang-min Dismissal" held a press conference, saying, "We have come a long way," and emphasized, "Even now, we will not hesitate to comfort the bereaved families and survivors through fact-finding, punishment of those responsible, and establishment of measures to prevent recurrence, and to rebuild the foundation for their daily recovery."
They said, "The ball is now in the Constitutional Court's court," and added, "We expect a fair and objective decision from the Constitutional Court, which has made judgments restoring the people's common sense." They also said, "To prevent the possibility of 'bed football' that the impeachment committee member, a former ruling party judiciary committee chairman, might play, we will prepare by gathering the will of many citizens and lawmakers," and stated, "President Yoon Seok-yeol has threatened to appoint a 'prosecutor's core aide deputy minister' in preparation for Minister Lee's suspension, but the people are not easily intimidated by the incompetent and shameless regime's threats."
They also demanded, "President Yoon should now install an official memorial altar requested by the bereaved families, where portraits and memorial tablets are prepared to fully comfort the souls of the victims and where the remaining families can heal each other's pain."
Presidential Office says "Abandonment of Parliamentarism"... Park Hong-geun retorts, "If you have a conscience, don't spout nonsense"
On this day, the presidential office described the passage of the impeachment motion against Minister Lee as an "abandonment of parliamentarism" and said it would be "recorded as a shameful history in legislative history." In response, Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party, strongly opposed, saying, "If you have even a shred of conscience, don't spout nonsense with an open mouth."
At a meeting with reporters, Floor Leader Park explained, "Regarding the Itaewon tragedy that claimed 159 innocent lives, President Yoon and Minister Lee should have already stepped down as a matter of responsibility," and added, "The Democratic Party, the three opposition parties, and independent lawmakers passed the impeachment motion against Minister Lee in accordance with the Constitution and the National Assembly Act, reflecting the will of the people."
He criticized the presidential office, saying, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration will be the most shameful administration in constitutional history," and asked, "After taking so many lives, has the president ever officially apologized even once? Has he ever bowed his head sincerely?" He added, "Whenever there has been a major disaster in the past, whether progressive or conservative, the prime minister or the minister in charge would first express their resignation. What on earth is the Yoon Seok-yeol administration doing?"
On this day, Lee Jong-cheol, representative of the Itaewon victims' families' association, met with reporters immediately after the impeachment motion passed the plenary session and said, "Was the Constitution really upheld regarding the deaths of 159 victims?" and expressed gratitude, saying, "In a situation where the government is completely silent, I am thankful that the National Assembly has now played its role."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
