[Inside Chodong] The Chicken Game of Anxious Political Leaders

The second impeachment process has begun while the aftermath of the martial law situation has not yet fully subsided. The Democratic Party of Korea accused Acting President and Prime Minister Han Deok-su of involvement in the rebellion immediately after the martial law incident, filed a police complaint, included him as a subject of the 'Rebellion Special Prosecutor' investigation they proposed, and now have carried out their threat to impeach him if he does not comply with their demands. Given the current atmosphere, it will also be difficult for Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, and Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, to keep their positions.

Just ten days ago, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, said he would not proceed with impeachment against Acting President Han, fearing confusion in state affairs. At that time, the public, hoping for a return to normalcy, also expected the normal launch of the ruling-opposition-government consultative body to resolve the emergency martial law situation.

When Acting President Han did not act as they wished, the Democratic Party pulled out the impeachment card again. When controversy arose over the quorum required for impeachment of the Acting President, they even included Han’s recommendation to President Yoon Suk-yeol to veto the Marine Corps personnel and Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor laws during his time as Prime Minister as grounds for impeachment. Despite the Democratic Party having taken the lead in state affairs, they now seem willing to paralyze the executive branch to discipline the government.

Originally, when Acting President Han did not promulgate the rebellion and Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor laws, the Democratic Party said they would proceed with impeachment but postponed the plan to observe the appointment of constitutional court justices. There is a calculated motive behind this. The Democratic Party, for whom the timing of the next presidential election is very important, seems to regard the impeachment trial as a more critical issue than investigating the martial law situation before and after.

Focusing only on suppressing the remnants of the rebellion has led to repeated situations that unsettle the public. The Democratic Party’s floor spokesperson hinted at plans to impeach not only Acting President Han but also five ministers who supported the declaration of martial law. Their logic is that if five out of the 15 members of the Cabinet, excluding those suspended from duty, are impeached, the Cabinet meeting cannot be held, and bills will be automatically enacted.

These strange situations began with the president’s cowardice. He, who vowed to face legal and political responsibility, has been reduced to a 'legal technician' who is a former prosecutor. Acting President Han is also suspected of judging that the quorum for impeachment could be legally contested. Therefore, even if the special prosecutor law required bipartisan agreement, it would have been proper to appoint the justices recommended by the National Assembly. To support a president who would face the investigation confidently, a proper impeachment trial platform should have been established. Didn’t the Constitutional Court and even the Supreme Court say there was no problem with Han’s appointment of justices?

Due to Acting President Han’s passive exercise of authority, the country faces a crisis of 'absence of the Acting President' and paralysis of the executive branch. Moreover, with the economy trapped in a 1% growth rate, Deputy Prime Minister Choi is now tasked with political matters as well, making it inevitable that the economic crisis will be neglected. Yet the Democratic Party is already trying to discipline Deputy Prime Minister Choi, calling him 'the person who ran out of the Cabinet meeting in defiance of martial law.'

Meanwhile, the ruling-opposition-government consultative body, established to discuss ways to resolve the political situation, faced a crisis of collapse from the start. Because the ruling and opposition parties only calculated impeachment, the first day of the consultative body passed without even holding working-level talks to coordinate the agenda.

The next scene unfolding before us is also an unsightly brinkmanship between a more desperate president and an anxious opposition leader. The chicken game of political leaders who want to delay everything possible traps the National Assembly in the past and deepens the suffering of the people. This, indeed, seems like an abyss without bottom.