The five opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, have officially formed an alliance to impeach President Yoon Seok-yeol. They aim to secure the 200 seats required for the National Assembly's quorum to pass the impeachment and to begin direct actions such as preparing the impeachment motion.
The 'Yoon Seok-yeol Impeachment National Assembly Members Alliance,' composed of lawmakers from the five opposition parties, held its inaugural ceremony on the morning of the 13th at the National Assembly Members' Office Building. This is the first official event held at the alliance level. The alliance consists of 41 members: 27 from the Democratic Party, 9 from the Innovation Party, 3 from the Progressive Party, and one each from the Basic Income Party and the Social Democratic Party. The co-chairs are Democratic Party lawmaker Park Soo-hyun and Innovation Party floor leader Hwang Un-ha.
In their declaration, the impeachment alliance stated, "President Yoon solemnly swore before the people on May 10, 2022, to uphold the Constitution according to Article 69 and to faithfully perform his duties as president. However, President Yoon, a former legal professional, is completely denying the spirit of the Constitution."
They further criticized, "During his 2 years and 6 months in office, President Yoon failed to fulfill the most fundamental duty of the state to protect the lives and safety of the people. He did not clarify the truth behind the Itaewon disaster, the Osong disaster, the death of soldier Chae Sang-byeong, and the obstruction of investigations. The extent of state mismanagement has reached a level where public anger cannot be quelled."
The alliance announced it will focus on three key tasks: securing the 200 votes needed for impeachment, pushing for the passage of a special investigation law regarding First Lady Kim Geon-hee, and preparing for major social reforms after impeachment. In particular, they plan to devise additional measures to prevent security gaps caused by the absence of a president after impeachment.
Separately, the Innovation Party has announced it will unveil a draft impeachment motion at Gwanghwamun Square on the 20th. The motion is expected to list 17 reasons, including the death of a marine soldier. It is reported that the wording is currently being finalized based on the verdict from the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye.
The People Power Party immediately reacted to the opposition's impeachment alliance movement, calling it "an intention to hold a de facto impeachment rally disguised as a lawmakers' meeting within the National Assembly." Han Ji-a, the senior spokesperson for the People Power Party, dismissed it as "a reckless attempt that distorts the will of the people, damages democracy, and causes great confusion and anxiety in our society."
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