Opposition Pushes for Han Deok-su's Dismissal Resolution... Yoon Likely to Reject
Presidential Office: "No Legal or Political Misconduct"
President Yoon Suk-yeol approved the arrest warrant request for Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, as well as the appointment of Bang Moon-kyu as Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy and the new president of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) during his visit to New York, USA, on the occasion of attending the 78th United Nations General Assembly high-level session on the 19th.
Regarding Lee Jae-myung, a pre-arrest warrant was requested on charges related to the 'Baekhyeon-dong development project preferential treatment suspicion' and the 'Ssangbangwool Group North Korea remittance suspicion.' The approval of Bang Moon-kyu’s appointment is understood to follow the existing policy of processing appointments in principle when the parliamentary hearing report is not adopted within the designated period.
The presidential office spokesperson stated that President Yoon approved Lee Jae-myung’s arrest warrant request while visiting New York for the 78th UN General Assembly high-level session. According to the National Assembly Act, after the Ministry of Justice submits the arrest consent proposal to the National Assembly, the Speaker reports it at the first plenary session, and then it must be put to a secret ballot within 72 hours after 24 hours of reporting. The arrest consent proposal is expected to be deliberated in the plenary session on the 20th and voted on the 21st. It may be voted on together with the motion to dismiss Prime Minister Han Duck-soo at the plenary session on the 21st.
Lee Jae-myung was charged with breach of trust under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes and incitement to perjury related to the Baekhyeon-dong development project preferential treatment suspicion, and with third-party bribery under the same Act and violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act related to the Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance suspicion. Lee was urgently transferred to a hospital due to health deterioration caused by prolonged fasting the previous day.
President Yoon also approved the appointment of Bang Moon-kyu as Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy on the 20th. The National Assembly’s Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs, and Startups Committee had planned to discuss the adoption of the personnel hearing report for Bang immediately after the negotiation group leaders’ speeches at the plenary session the previous morning, but the meeting was canceled. It was reported that the Democratic Party requested the cancellation of the session from the People Power Party following Lee Jae-myung’s emergency transfer to the hospital. Bang Moon-kyu is the 17th minister appointed by the Yoon administration without a parliamentary hearing report.
President Yoon also approved the appointment of Kim as the new president of KEPCO. KEPCO held an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting the previous day, where the proposal to appoint former lawmaker Kim, who was the sole candidate, was submitted and approved. Born in 1955, Kim graduated from Gwangju Jeil High School and Seoul National University’s Department of Law, worked at the Korea Development Bank, and was elected as a member of the 17th National Assembly in 2004. He served four consecutive terms (17th to 20th) representing Gwangsan District in Gwangju and held positions as chairman of the National Assembly’s Trade, Industry and Energy Committee from 2014 to 2015 and chairman of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee from 2015 to 2016.
In addition, regarding the Democratic Party’s plan to push for a motion to dismiss Prime Minister Han Duck-soo at the National Assembly plenary session on the 21st, President Yoon is reportedly determined not to accept it. The presidential office views the Democratic Party’s motion as an unfair political attack aimed at changing the political situation. A senior presidential office official strongly criticized the Democratic Party on the 17th, right after they held an emergency party meeting and resolved to submit the dismissal motion, saying, "The president is working hard for people’s livelihoods and exports," and "Even if everyone puts in their best effort, the victims of this reckless political struggle will ultimately be the people."
Previously, President Yoon did not accept the dismissal motions for Foreign Minister Park Jin in September last year and for Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min in December of the same year. A presidential office official said, "There is no clear legal or political fault to recommend dismissal of Prime Minister Han," and added, "(The Democratic Party’s dismissal motion) will not gain public support."
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