"Come Back!" Democratic Party Appeals to People Power for Impeachment Vote... Kim Yeji and Kim Sanguk Return

Park Chandae Calls Out Names of People Power Party Lawmakers Supporting Emergency Martial Law Lift
Kim Sanguk Opposes Impeachment Vote... "Member of the Party"

"The treasonous party must be disbanded!"

At around 5:45 PM on the 7th, when the special investigation law on First Lady Kim Keon-hee (Kim Keon-hee Special Investigation Law) was rejected by just two votes in the National Assembly plenary session, the People Power Party (PPP) members stood up from their seats. This was to abstain from the vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol. Since the approval requirement for the presidential impeachment motion is 'at least two-thirds of the total members present,' if PPP members do not attend and leave the plenary hall, the impeachment motion will be automatically rejected.

On the 7th, during the plenary session of the National Assembly, opposition party members are calling out the names of People Power Party lawmakers who left the chamber to abstain from voting on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Opposition party members shouted at the PPP members leaving the National Assembly plenary hall. Min-hee Choi, a Democratic Party member, stood in the path of the PPP members holding a placard that read "People Power Party, join us." The PPP members avoided eye contact with the opposition members and exited the plenary hall. Only Ahn Cheol-soo, a PPP member, remained seated in the plenary hall.

Opposition members encouraged the return of PPP members and the vote on the impeachment motion. Kyun-taek Park, a Democratic Party member, said to Speaker Woo Won-shik, "Please call (the PPP members) back so that we can at least have a vote and reject it!" Chan-dae Park, the Democratic Party floor leader, also called out the names of PPP members one by one. Especially to the members who supported the resolution demanding the lifting of President Yoon’s emergency martial law declaration?Kyu-taek Kwak, Sang-wook Kim, Seong-won Kim, Yong-tae Kim, Jae-seop Kim, Hyeong-dong Kim, Soo-min Park, Jeong-ha Park, Jeong-hoon Park, Beom-su Seo, Seong-beom Shin, Jae-jun Woo, Dong-hyuk Jang, Seong-guk Jeong, Yeon-uk Jeong, Jin-woo Joo, Kyung-tae Jo, and Ji-a Han?he shouted, "Please come back quickly!" While the floor leader called out the PPP members’ names, Democratic Party members also stood up and called out the names together.

The floor leader struck the podium with his hand and said, "Participating in the impeachment of the treasonous ringleader President Yoon is the historic duty of the National Assembly," adding, "All members of the National Assembly, regardless of party, must suspend the duties of the treasonous ringleader President Yoon. For the sake of the nation and the people, we will definitely impeach President Yoon."

Ahn, who was left alone, participated in the impeachment vote. When Ahn placed his ballot in the box, some opposition members applauded.

Kim Ye-ji, a member of the People Power Party, is voting on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol at the National Assembly plenary session on the 7th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Fifty-two Democratic Party members have not yet participated in the plenary vote. They intend to delay until PPP members vote in the plenary session. Physically, voting is possible from 12:48 AM on the 5th, when the impeachment motion was reported, until 12:48 AM on the 8th, 72 hours later. Speaker Woo, who was waiting for the return of PPP members, said, "How will the people and history view this scene of not participating in the vote while handling an unjust emergency martial law?" and asked, "Are you not afraid of the judgment of history and the people?"

While they were waiting for the return of PPP members, PPP member Ye-ji Kim returned to the plenary hall for the vote. When Ye-ji Kim appeared, opposition members said, "Thank you." Ye-ji Kim completed the vote without any particular reaction and left the plenary hall.

PPP member Sang-wook Kim also returned to the plenary hall for the vote at around 6:50 PM that day. On either side of Sang-wook Kim were Democratic Party members Jeong-hoon Shin and Hae-sik Lee linking arms with him. When Sang-wook Kim appeared, National Assembly aides and staff waiting in front of the plenary hall cheered. They chanted, "Sang-wook Kim! Sang-wook Kim!" However, Sang-wook Kim cast a dissenting vote in this vote.

After voting, Sang-wook Kim met with reporters and said, "I am a conservative. I still believe in conservative values and live with the determination to realize them," adding, "I think President Yoon is not qualified as president today, but since I am still a member of the party, I did not agree with this impeachment motion according to the party line."