[Report] "People Power Party Will Be Judged"... Tears Over Failure to Hold Vote on Presidential Impeachment Bill

Sighs as Yeo's Departure News Spreads
Organizers Estimate 1 Million Gathered
Weekly Rally Participation Expected to Continue

"People Power Party members walking out will face the judgment of the people."

Citizens are gathered at a rally urging the impeachment of the president held in front of the National Assembly in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yeom Dayeon

On the afternoon of the 7th, Kim Seoyeon (24), whom we met in front of the National Assembly building in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, said, "The People Power Party is so despicable. Since impeachment is inevitable anyway, what is the point of dragging out time like this?" She choked up, saying, "I feel like crying because it seems the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol will not pass."

At the scene, sighs erupted as news spread that People Power Party members would not participate in the impeachment vote. Citizens watched the live broadcast on large screens and mobile phones as all People Power Party members walked out, shouting, "What did I just see?", "Are you kidding?", "This is embarrassing," and "Disband the unconstitutional party." Lee Gong-hwi (56) from Cheonan, Chungnam, criticized, "After the Kim Gun-hee special prosecutor bill was rejected, I expected the presidential impeachment motion to also likely fail, but they just walked out completely, which is disheartening. Aren't they ashamed in front of their children?"

Citizens are watching a live broadcast at a rally urging the impeachment of the president held in front of the National Assembly in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yeom Dayeon

Criticism poured down on the People Power Party members. Kim Dong-won (66) from Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, lamented, "The People Power Party needs to wake up, but they still haven't come to their senses," adding, "In the end, the people will have no choice but to step up again." Ko Jeong-sook (51), a resident of Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, said, "The People Power Party members have effectively abandoned the people," and "I hope the president and the lawmakers will finally come to their senses." Ahn Jae-sung (45) from Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Today's event will be recorded in history, and I believe they made a decision they will regret for a long time," asserting, "The public sentiment in Seongnam will grow uncontrollably."

Many citizens expressed their determination to continue participating in rallies demanding the president's impeachment. Lee (24) from Yanggu-gun, Gangwon Province, said, "When the next extraordinary session of the National Assembly opens, the impeachment motion should be brought up again and repeated until it passes," adding, "Today feels very empty, but I think the people need to raise their voices even more in the future." Ha Il-woo (36) from Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, emphasized, "I will fight to the end until the impeachment motion passes," and "The People Power Party made a judgment very different from the majority opinion of the people. This will backfire not only on President Yoon but also on the People Power Party." Choi (51) said, "I also participated in the Park Geun-hye impeachment rallies, but I never thought I would come out to the streets again on such a cold day," raising his voice, "I will come out in front of the National Assembly every week to shout for impeachment." No Young-min (53) said, "When the martial law was declared, I only thought about going straight to the National Assembly," adding, "Today, I came with the thought that President Yoon should naturally step down. I will attend again and again." Nam Il-kwon (45) from Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, stated, "I will keep coming out until the powers of the incompetent president are suspended."

Some showed a somewhat heated atmosphere. A social organizer from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) shouted, "Let's stand up and slowly move to surround the National Assembly," and citizens formed marching lines surrounding the National Assembly from the east and west sides. As news spread that People Power Party members might exit through the back door of the National Assembly, citizens continued marching toward the National Assembly's Gate 4 area.

Citizens gathered at Yeouido Park in Seoul are shouting impeachment slogans. Photo by Heo Young-han

As of 5:30 p.m., the organizers, including the KCTU, estimated about 1 million people gathered nationwide, while the police unofficially estimated 149,000. The area from the main gate of the National Assembly in Yeouido to the Industrial Bank headquarters was packed with people. Due to the large crowd, internet and phone connections around the National Assembly were unstable. The National Assembly Boulevard, including the section from National Assembly Station on Line 9 to the southern end of Seogang Bridge, was fully closed, and some people walked across Seogang Bridge toward the National Assembly. Line 9 National Assembly Station trains passed through without stopping, and Yeouido Station was temporarily closed but is currently operating normally.

At 5 p.m., the National Assembly held a plenary session where the Kim Gun-hee special prosecutor bill was put to a revote, followed by the presidential impeachment motion vote. The special prosecutor bill for Mrs. Kim was approved with 198 votes in favor, falling 2 votes short of passage. Speaker Woo Won-shik appealed to People Power Party members who were absent from the impeachment vote to participate, delaying the announcement of the vote's conclusion while waiting in the plenary hall. The impeachment motion was reported to the plenary session at 12:48 a.m. on the 5th and could be voted on until 12:48 a.m. on the 8th. Except for People Power Party members Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Ye-ji, and Kim Sang-wook, the rest abstained from voting. Earlier, President Yoon apologized for the emergency martial law situation in a national address and said, "I will leave the issue of political stability, including my term, to our party."