As of 10:40 AM, 1,000,557 endorsements for Dongui
Petition referred to National Assembly Judiciary Committee... Review of adoption or dismissal
Democrats to announce position on surpassing 1 million endorsements at 1 PM
On the 3rd, the number of signatures on the national petition urging the initiation of the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol surpassed 1 million.
According to the National Assembly's public petition board, as of 10:40 a.m. on the same day, the petition titled "Request for Immediate Initiation of the Impeachment Motion against President Yoon" recorded 1,000,557 supporters. The national petition for President Yoon's impeachment was first made public on the 20th of last month. The petitioner cited five reasons for the impeachment request, including the "alleged external pressure related to the death of Chae Haebyeong" and the "alleged receipt of expensive bags by First Lady Kim Keon-hee." The petition exceeded the 50,000 signatures required for referral to a standing committee within three days and surpassed 1 million signatures in just over ten days.
The petition has been referred to the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. After the signature period ends on the 30th of this month, it will undergo review by the committee. Petitions referred to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee are examined by the Petition Subcommittee and then deliberated and voted on in the plenary session. The committee comprehensively reviews whether to adopt or discard the petition based on the incorporation of the bill, achievement of the petition's intent, and feasibility.
President Yoon Suk-yeol Holds Expanded Korea-Uzbekistan Summit (Tashkent [Uzbekistan] = Yonhap News) Reporter Hong Hae-in = On the morning of the 14th (local time), President Yoon Suk-yeol spoke during the expanded Korea-Uzbekistan summit with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Presidential Palace in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 2024.6.14 [Joint Coverage]
hihong@yna.co.kr
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However, the impeachment petition is likely to remain pending. A key condition for impeachment is proving the president's actual illegal conduct. Even if the impeachment motion proceeds to the National Assembly plenary session, its passage remains uncertain. According to Article 65 of the Constitution, the impeachment motion against the president requires approval by two-thirds (200 seats) of the total members. The opposition parties in the 22nd National Assembly hold a total of 191 seats.
The opposition parties' views on this matter are also divided. The Democratic Party, which initially showed a cautious stance, announced a press conference in the afternoon to mark the petition surpassing 1 million signatures. Kang Deuk-gu, a Democratic Party lawmaker hosting the press conference, stated in a phone interview, "The fact that the impeachment petition is approaching 1 million signatures reflects the public's demand for President Yoon to change his governance policy and listen to public sentiment."
There is also a possibility of a backlash. Some argue that Democratic Party members supported the impeachment petition mainly to offset the "Lee Jae-myung judicial risk." Some political circles speculate that the Democratic Party might take concrete actions if the number of petition supporters exceeds approximately 2.5 million, which corresponds to the size of the Democratic Party's membership, considering such criticisms. The presidential office is known to maintain the position that impeachment is not possible, stating there are no clear illegalities related to this matter.
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