Yoon Impeachment Petition 2nd Hearing Heated Battle... Opposition "Organized Absence" · Ruling Party "Jeong Cheong-rae Style Legal Interpretation"

On the 26th, the second hearing of the petition for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol began with a tense standoff over whether witnesses related to First Lady Kim Geon-hee would appear. Most of the key figures selected as witnesses, including First Lady Kim, her mother Choi Eun-soon, and Presidential Secretary General Jeong Jin-seok, did not attend. The opposition party protested, calling it an "organized absence," while the ruling party emphasized the illegality of the hearing itself, criticizing it as a "Jeong Cheong-rae (Chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee)-style legal interpretation."

Jeong Cheong-rae, Chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, stated at the second hearing of the presidential impeachment petition in the morning, "Thirteen witnesses, including Kim Geon-hee, Choi Eun-soon, and Jeong Jin-seok, were absent without submitting reasons for their absence," and warned, "We will push to select these absent witnesses as witnesses for the legislative hearing on the special investigation bill to uncover the truth about Kim Geon-hee's stock manipulation allegations."

Kim Seung-won, a Democratic Party member and secretary of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, also expressed regret over the "planned absence" of the witnesses, saying, "If they think the public will not know by covering up the truth, that is a grave misjudgment and a warning once again." He also criticized the prosecution, saying, "Regarding the recent investigation of the First Lady at the Presidential Annex, where prosecutors who once stood at the photo line during investigations of former presidents and first ladies have now become mere scribes, where has their resolve gone?"

Protesting People Power Party
(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Shin Junhee = On the morning of the 19th, Yoo Sang-beom and other members of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee protested to Chairman Jeong Cheong-rae during the full committee meeting, stating that the public hearing on the petition requesting the initiation of the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol was not lawful. 2024.7.19
hama@yna.co.kr
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The ruling party repeatedly emphasized the illegality of the hearing itself. Yoo Sang-beom, secretary of the People Power Party, stated during a procedural speech, "The petition for impeachment cannot be handled by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee," and pointed out, "They forcibly brought it in as an important agenda item of the hearing, circumventing the law by violating legal provisions." He criticized, "This is a Jeong Cheong-rae-style legal interpretation that arbitrarily interprets the law, not following the law."

The hearing did not proceed to the witness examination stage, as the ruling and opposition parties continued to clash over fairness and the issue of witness attendance. When People Power Party lawmaker Song Seok-jun repeatedly emphasized the illegality of the hearing, Chairman Jeong retorted, "If the hearing is illegal, then leave. Why are you complicit in committing illegal acts yourself?" In response, Song said, "Then I will leave and come back again."

The opposition party is determined to repeatedly expose related allegations through the 'Kim Geon-hee Special Investigation Act' public hearing, which was submitted to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 24th, following this hearing. Hwang Jeong-ah, Democratic Party floor spokesperson, emphasized after the Supreme Council meeting, "The lawyer for First Lady Kim praised the investigation cooperation, saying there has never been such cooperation since the founding of the nation," and added, "The public opinion is that this is a mockery of the people, and there has never been such a royal investigation since the founding of the nation."