'State Manipulation' Park Geun-hye Allowed Free Vote, 'Emergency Martial Law' Yoon Seok-yeol Party Motion Rejected? ... Changed People Power Party

Handonghun's 'Suspension from Duty' Demand Faces No Party Consensus Change
Impeachment Trauma at Play...? 8 Votes Defection Unclear
Pre-Vote Lawmakers' Meeting, Focus on Yoon's Public Address Impact

The conservative government has once again faced an impeachment phase after 8 years. The impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye 8 years ago and the current impeachment situation of President Yoon Suk-yeol have similarities as well as differences. On the 7th, just before the impeachment vote on President Yoon, we compared the past and present.

People Power Party seems deeply affected by impeachment trauma

The biggest difference between the impeachment phases of former President Park and President Yoon lies in the ruling party's response to the presidential impeachment motion vote. During former President Park’s time, the ruling party Saenuri Party chose a free vote system, leaving the decision to individual lawmakers without a party line. Initially, the pro-Park (pro-Park Geun-hye) faction strongly insisted on rejecting the impeachment, but under the leadership of then floor leader Jeong Jin-seok, now Chief Secretary of the Presidential Office, it was decided to proceed with a free vote. On December 5, 2016, regarding the vote on former President Park’s impeachment motion, Chief Secretary Jeong said, “If the impeachment procedure proceeds as scheduled on the 9th, our party members will all participate and vote according to their conscience as constitutional institutions.”

President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol and former President Park Geun-hye are shaking hands on the 12th at former President Park's residence in Yuga-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu. [Provided by the Office of the President-elect Spokesperson]

The current ruling party, the People Power Party, intends to reject President Yoon’s impeachment motion, which was declared under martial law, as the party line. On the 5th, Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, said, “As party leader, I will strive to prevent this impeachment from passing to avoid harm to the people and supporters caused by unprepared chaos.” Senior lawmakers including floor leader Choo Kyung-ho hold the position that they cannot hand over power to the Democratic Party and that they must not endure the 'impeachment trauma' experienced during former President Park’s time again.

On the morning of the 6th, Leader Han revealed that he confirmed President Yoon’s attempt to use intelligence agencies to arrest politicians and expressed the need to suspend his duties. However, after an overnight party meeting, the People Power Party’s party line did not change. It is reported that not a single lawmaker publicly expressed support for the impeachment vote during the meeting. While sharing concerns about President Yoon’s martial law declaration, a strong impeachment trauma seems to have influenced the party’s stance that they should not impeach the president they elected again.

Impeachment vote again in early December after 8 years...Same calls for resignation

The day former President Park’s impeachment passed the National Assembly plenary session was December 9, 2016, and President Yoon’s impeachment vote is also scheduled for the afternoon of December 7. Both face impeachment votes in early December, but former President Park had about a year left in her term, whereas President Yoon has just passed the midpoint of his term.

Chu Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 5th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

In both situations, calls for the president to leave the party were common. During former President Park’s impeachment phase, former lawmaker Kim Moo-sung and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, representing the anti-Park faction, demanded resignation from the party, but the pro-Park faction and former President Park effectively refused to leave. The People Power Party, led by Leader Han, also decided at the Supreme Council meeting to request President Yoon’s resignation from the party, but as of the morning of that day, President Yoon had no particular stance on leaving the party. Former President Park was expelled from the party on November 3, 2017, during Hong Joon-pyo’s leadership of the Liberty Korea Party after her impeachment.

With President Yoon’s impeachment vote imminent, attention is focused on whether more than 8 dissenting votes will emerge from the People Power Party. The party plans to continue holding party meetings before the vote scheduled at 5 p.m. that day to gather opinions. Since the president is expected to make an additional statement, it is noteworthy how this will affect the vote.