Hong Jun-pyo on the Impeachment Proposal Against Han Duck-soo: "Back-Alley Gangster Politics"

"The Pinnacle of Bully Gang Politics"

The Democratic Party of Korea has proposed an impeachment motion against Acting Prime Minister Han Deok-su, who is also serving as Acting President, while Hong Jun-pyo, the mayor of Daegu, criticized it as "the height of thug gang politics."

On the 27th, Mayor Hong said on his Facebook, "(The Democratic Party) beats you up if you don't listen to me. There is no logic or justification. That's something only back-alley thugs would do." He pointed out, "No matter what happens to the country or the people, I must seize power, and if anyone gets in my way, I beat them up unconditionally. That's back-alley gangster politics and thug gang politics." He added, "Lee Jae-myung has been acting like this since the old days."

Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu. Photo by Yonhap News

The Democratic Party proposed the impeachment motion against Acting Prime Minister Han the day before because Han effectively refused the opposition party's demand to appoint three constitutional court justices.

Han, in an emergency national address, stated, "I will withhold the appointment of constitutional court justices until the ruling and opposition parties submit a mutually agreed proposal. Once they submit a mutually agreed proposal, I will immediately appoint them." This was a rejection of the opposition party's demand to immediately appoint the constitutional court nominees.

He defended himself by saying, "Our constitution and laws contain a consistent spirit that urges restraint in exercising the president's significant inherent powers, including appointments to constitutional institutions," and that he cannot arbitrarily accept the opposition party's demands. He also said, "Looking back at history, not a single constitutional court justice has been appointed without bipartisan agreement. The opposition party is pressuring to exercise the president's inherent powers without bipartisan agreement."

Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is delivering a national address on the 26th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

In response, the Democratic Party pointed out, "He failed to fulfill his responsibility as a servant to the people through his own unconstitutional and illegal actions, and by condoning or neglecting the president's unconstitutional and illegal acts, he also failed to perform his duty to assist the president."

Meanwhile, if this impeachment motion passes the plenary session on the 27th, Acting Prime Minister Han's duties will be suspended not only as Prime Minister but also as Acting President, and Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, will assume the acting position.