Press Groups Urge Ruling Party to Make Presidential Impeachment an Official Party Stance

Eleven media collaboration organizations, including the Korea Journalists Association, held a demonstration in front of the ruling party People Power Party headquarters on the 6th, demanding "to reestablish the impeachment of Yoon Seok-yeol as the party's official stance."

These organizations held an emergency press conference that day, stating, "Join the people's demand to remove the anti-constitutional instigator of rebellion." They welcomed Han Dong-hoon, the People Power Party leader, changing his position that morning to call for the immediate suspension of President Yoon Seok-yeol's duties, and urged the party to also clarify its stance. Previously, the People Power Party had set opposition to the president's impeachment as its official position.

At the conference, the organizations said, "If you still oppose impeachment, it can only be interpreted as a willingness to end your political life alongside Yoon Seok-yeol, the rebel who pointed guns at democracy," adding, "It sounds like a declaration to become an unconstitutional party that goes against the will of the sovereign people." They also demanded that individual lawmakers publicly state their position on whether they will join the impeachment.

Jonghyun Park (center in the photo), President of the Korea Journalists Association, is speaking at an emergency press conference held by 11 media collaboration organizations on the 6th. Provided by the Korea Journalists Association

Among the martial law command proclamations announced immediately after the declaration of martial law, Article 3 stated, "All media and publications are subject to the control of the martial law command." At the press conference, the organizations said, "If the martial law troops had succeeded in suppressing the National Assembly and citizens, all media outlets would have already been reduced to martial law propaganda broadcasts praising Yoon Seok-yeol's coup as a patriotic decision," adding, "Many active journalists might have been confined and tortured in the martial law command's underground rooms."

They continued, "We active journalists cannot coexist with the anti-constitutional instigator of rebellion and his accomplices," and expressed hope that "the People Power Party and its affiliated lawmakers will fulfill their duties as a legitimate party in accordance with constitutional values by removing Yoon Seok-yeol."

The press conference was attended by the Broadcast Journalists Association, the National Union of Mediaworkers, the Korea Journalists Association, the Korea Broadcast Technicians Union, the Korea Broadcast Cameramen Union, the Korea Photojournalists Association, the Korea Announcers Association, the Korea Video Journalists Association, the Korea Video Editors Association, the Korea Editors Association, and the Korea PD Association.