On the 20th, Democratic Party's Lee Sang-min Impeachment Trial TF Holds First Meeting
"Kim Do-eup Must Promptly Form the Prosecution Committee and Legal Team as a Prosecutor"
[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] On the 20th, the Democratic Party of Korea urged Kim Do-eup, Chairman of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee from the People Power Party, to promptly form the prosecution committee regarding the impeachment motion against Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min.
Park Hong-geun, the Democratic Party floor leader, said at the first meeting of the "Lee Sang-min Minister of the Interior and Safety Impeachment Trial Response TF" held at the National Assembly on the same day, "Chairman Kim Do-eup has not even formed the prosecution committee as a prosecutor," and criticized, "He requests a swift decision from the Constitutional Court, but he is not fulfilling his duties as a prosecutor."
He continued, calling it a "clear dereliction of duty," and emphasized, "Chairman Kim is not just a single member of the National Assembly but clearly an institution. He must act according to the decisions of the National Assembly, not to protect the administration or for party interests." He added, "If he does not fulfill his duties, I strongly urge him to promptly delegate to a legal representative team."
Jin Sun-mi, head of the TF, also pointed out, "Chairman Kim is taking a passive stance on forming the prosecution committee and there are reports that he is unilaterally looking for legal representatives," and stressed, "The petitioner in the impeachment trial procedure under the National Assembly Act is the 'National Assembly,' and the prosecutors act as representatives conducting the lawsuit on behalf of the National Assembly, which must never be forgotten."
Jin said, "The impeachment motion against Minister Lee Sang-min was passed with 179 votes in favor, more than the number of lawmakers from the three opposition parties who proposed it," and added, "As the prosecution committee chairman of the National Assembly, he has the duty to do his best to ensure that the impeachment motion, overwhelmingly passed by the National Assembly plenary session, is accepted by the Constitutional Court. I hope the prosecution committee and legal representative team for the Lee Sang-min impeachment trial will be promptly formed in consultation with the opposition parties as soon as possible."
She also referred to precedents where the prosecution committee and legal representative team were formed through bipartisan consultation during the two impeachment trials in 2004 and 2017.
Jin said, "In the 2004 impeachment trial of former President Roh Moo-hyun, the prosecution and legal representative teams were not separately distinguished, and a combined team of 67 members was formed. In 2017, during the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, a prosecution team of 9 members and a legal representative team of 16 members were formed," and added, "The legal representative team for the impeachment trial should be formed fairly and objectively through sufficient consultation with the opposition parties who proposed and led the impeachment motion, so that the public can accept it."
She further stated, "Chairman Kim’s unilateral formation of the legal representative team, expressing negative opinions about the impeachment trial of Lee Sang-min passed by the National Assembly, is absolutely unacceptable," and added, "He will be held strictly accountable for this responsibility."
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