"Second Insurrection with Changed Faces"
"Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Also... Additional Budget Cuts"
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon for announcing on the 8th that they would jointly manage state affairs, saying, "The ruling party leader and the prime minister are once again destroying the constitutional order."
At a press briefing held at the National Assembly on the same day, Lee said, "President Yoon Seok-yeol is hiding behind the scenes and maintaining a state of rebellion by deploying a conspiracy group for insurrection, which is a 'second insurrection act' with a changed face." He added, "The president's authority is not the personal property of President Yoon."
Regarding Leader Han, he said, "Even an ordinary person would have to ask, 'Who do you think you are?' before hearing the opinion of a constitutional scholar," and rhetorically asked, "Are you like the chairman of the Communist Party's people's committee?"
When asked about the possibility of impeaching Prime Minister Han, Lee replied, "Seeing that he announced he would carry out state affairs in consultation with the leader of the minority party in the National Assembly, I doubt his sanity," but added, "I will discuss with the leadership and consult the public to decide our position."
He claimed, "Our people elected Yoon Seok-yeol as president, not the ruling party as president," and said, "The announcement that the president, who has not been incapacitated, would temporarily step back to the second line and that the prime minister and ruling party leader would jointly exercise presidential authority is absurd."
Lee also pointed out President Yoon's acceptance of Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min's resignation, saying, "The president's duties have not been suspended and are still being exercised, which means that the so-called 'second-line retreat' or entrusting authority to the party and prime minister is not true."
Regarding the situation where President Yoon retains military command even if he steps back to the second line, Lee said, "There is a possibility that he might provoke a war and declare martial law," and added, "The military command should be stripped through impeachment proceedings."
Lee stated, "President Yoon, the main culprit of the insurrection and military rebellion, should either voluntarily resign or be impeached as soon as possible," and declared, "On the 14th, the Democratic Party will definitely impeach him in the name of the people."
Regarding the mention of a 'constitutional amendment to shorten the presidential term' as an alternative to impeachment by some in the ruling party, he drew a line, saying, "Now is not the time to consider that." He also said he would continue the strategy of "introducing the impeachment motion during the week and holding a plenary vote on the weekend" until impeachment is realized.
Lee expressed willingness to accept the proposal by Speaker Woo Won-shik for a meeting of ruling and opposition party leaders to discuss immediate suspension of President Yoon's duties, saying, "I hope it happens quickly."
Regarding the ruling party's walkout from the National Assembly plenary session, which resulted in the failure of the vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon, Lee said, "They effectively obstructed the suspension of President Yoon's duties," and claimed, "The ruling party is a clear accomplice to the insurrection."
Lee also expressed his determination to ensure the passage of the previously pursued 'Special Investigation Act on First Lady Kim Keon-hee' along with President Yoon's impeachment.
Meanwhile, on the 10th deadline urged by Speaker Woo for the ruling and opposition parties to reach an agreement on next year's budget bill, Lee said, "It would be desirable to process it by the 10th," but added, "However, additional cuts will be necessary."
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