Minbyun: "Korean Acting President Cannot Exercise Veto Power... Must Respect National Assembly Resolution"

"Acting Authority Should Not Prematurely Exercise the Right to Request Reconsideration"

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is speaking at the first Cabinet meeting held on the 10th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol was defeated due to a lack of quorum caused by the collective absence of People Power Party lawmakers from the vote. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

The progressive lawyers' group, the "Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun)," stated that Acting President Han Duck-soo should not exercise the right to request reconsideration (veto) on the National Assembly's legislative bills.

In a statement released on the 14th immediately after the National Assembly's impeachment resolution, Minbyun said, "In a situation where impeachment has been passed by the legislature, the Acting President must not make the mistake of hastily considering exercising the right to request reconsideration. The Acting President should demonstrate a thorough respect for the National Assembly's resolution concerning the truth-finding of issues such as the special investigation on the internal rebellion."

They also urged the National Assembly, saying, "The Assembly should face the gravity of the current situation, avoid being mired in partisan interests, and swiftly implement the best measures for fact-finding and punishing those responsible."

Minbyun further stated, "The Constitutional Court must promptly commence the impeachment trial of Yoon Seok-yeol and fulfill its role as a constitutional institution."

Specifically, Minbyun believes the Constitutional Court should make judgments on △ the fact that the December 3rd martial law declaration did not meet substantive requirements, △ procedural flaws such as failure to comply with the Cabinet meeting deliberation, proclamation, and notification to the National Assembly as stipulated by the Constitution and Martial Law Act during the martial law declaration process, △ the unconstitutionality and illegality of the martial law command's proclamations that infringed on various constitutional rights, and △ the military and police's intrusion into the National Assembly and the Central Election Management Committee.