Reproposal of Impeachment Before 2 PM Today
Lee Jung-moon: "(President) Is Afraid of the Constitutional Court"
"President's Suspension of Duties Should Be Done by Swift Vote on Impeachment"
On the 12th, the Democratic Party of Korea announced plans to propose and report a second impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol at the National Assembly plenary session, with a vote on the impeachment scheduled for the 14th. Following an unexpected national address by President Yoon that morning, there is growing support for swiftly proceeding with the impeachment motion to suspend his duties as soon as possible.
The Democratic Party intends to reintroduce the impeachment motion against President Yoon by 2 p.m. before the plenary session. Based on the first impeachment motion filed on the 4th, they are strengthening the content of the motion by reflecting additional unconstitutional acts by President Yoon that have come to light. Park Chan-dae, the Democratic Party floor leader, pressured the ruling party during the party’s highest council meeting at the National Assembly, stating, "The People Power Party is still protecting the ringleader of the insurrection. If they refuse the people's mandate, the people will judge them together with the ringleader of the insurrection," urging a vote for the president’s impeachment.
The opposition plans to specify concrete 'charges of insurrection' in the second impeachment motion, including President Yoon’s orders to arrest lawmakers during the emergency martial law, deployment of martial law troops within the National Election Commission, and prior collusion regarding martial law. Earlier, on the 10th, former Special Forces Commander Kwak Jong-geun testified at the National Assembly’s Defense Committee full meeting that during the December 3 emergency martial law incident, President Yoon instructed by phone to "break down the door and drag out the people inside the National Assembly," which is likely to be included in the impeachment motion.
After proposing and reporting the second impeachment motion on this day, the plan is to put it to a vote at the National Assembly plenary session at 5 p.m. on the 14th. For the presidential impeachment motion to pass, at least two-thirds (200 members) of the total assembly members must approve it. In addition to the opposition’s 192 seats, 8 members from the People Power Party must vote in favor for it to pass.
On the 12th, citizens are watching the emergency statement regarding President Yoon Seok-yeol's declaration of martial law in the Seoul Station waiting room. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung
Following the president’s address that morning, the opposition largely agreed on the need to process the impeachment motion quickly. Lee Jung-moon, a senior deputy chair of the Democratic Party’s Policy Committee, said, "(The president) fears the Constitutional Court the most. It is believed that if the impeachment process proceeds now, it will almost certainly pass, so efforts should be made to shorten the time quickly." Park Ji-won, a member of the same party, wrote on social media, "Yoon Seok-yeol is still crazy. We cannot entrust the presidency and military command to a madman even for a second." Just before the address, there was some speculation about delaying the reporting of the impeachment motion by a day to supplement the draft impeachment and specific insurrection charges from the Innovation Party for Democracy, but currently, the possibility is low.
Meanwhile, at the National Assembly plenary session on the same day, separate from the presidential impeachment motion, the fourth 'Special Investigation Law on Mrs. Kim Geon-hee' and the 'Special Investigation Law on Yoon Seok-yeol’s Insurrection' (special investigation law regarding the December 3 Yoon Seok-yeol insurrection incident) will be put to a vote. The special investigation law on Mrs. Kim includes 15 allegations related to her, such as stock manipulation suspicions involving Deutsche Motors and luxury handbag bribery suspicions, while the insurrection special investigation law is a general special investigation law to investigate all insurrection charges against President Yoon. However, since the general special investigation law can be vetoed by the president, the Democratic Party separately proposed a 'Permanent Special Investigation Demand on Yoon’s Insurrection' on the 10th, which passed the National Assembly plenary session. Also, on this day, impeachment motions against Park Sung-jae, Minister of Justice, and Cho Ji-ho, Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, will be put to a vote at the plenary session.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Emergency Economic Inspection Meeting held at the National Assembly on the 11th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min
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