A Tense Month After Yoon's Impeachment... Will the 'Super Week' Open a Political Breakthrough?

Opposition Aims to Pass Third-Party Special Investigation Act on Rebellion This Week
People Power Party Draws Attention with Its Own Special Investigation Bill
Focus on Execution of President Yoon's Arrest Warrant Amid Security Office Division

One month after the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, this week is expected to become a ‘super week’ that will determine the course of key issues. With significant political schedules lined up, there is analysis that the ruling and opposition parties may reach a consensus on contentious issues, including the Special Investigation Act on the Rebellion.

The impeachment motion against President Yoon passed the National Assembly plenary session on December 14 last year. The political sphere has been caught in a whirlwind of chaos over the past month. The approval of the impeachment motion was not the end of political turmoil but rather a new beginning. The political arena has formed a sharp confrontation over issues such as the Special Investigation Act to uncover the truth behind the December 3 emergency martial law incident, the investigation authority, and the handling of President Yoon’s custody. Public opinion has also been divided. The division of national opinion has continued not only on the streets but also in public discourse.

However, with various political events scheduled to start with the Special Investigation Act this week, there is growing hope that the tangled political situation may be resolved. First, the National Assembly plans to hold a Legislation and Judiciary Committee meeting to deliberate and process the Special Investigation Act on the Rebellion. Although the revised bill includes additional provisions such as the crime of foreign currency inducement, which the ruling party opposes, it is evaluated that many of the government and ruling party’s concerns regarding the method of recommending special investigators and the scale of the investigation have been reflected.

At the plenary meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held at the National Assembly on the 10th, ruling party lawmakers opposed the submission of the "Act on the Appointment of a Special Prosecutor for the Investigation of the Facts of the Yoon Seok-yeol Government's Acts of Rebellion and Foreign Exchange." Photo by Kim Hyun-min

The opposition party is preparing to process the Special Investigation Act in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and bring it to the plenary session, while also seeking negotiations with the People Power Party. The ruling party plans to organize its stance on the proposal of the Special Investigation Act through a party meeting on the afternoon of the 13th. If the ruling party drafts its own Special Investigation Act or presents a more progressive position on the opposition’s bill, the ruling and opposition parties are expected to negotiate over contentious issues such as the scope of the special investigation.

The opposition is considering the possibility of processing the Special Investigation Act on the 14th or 16th. If the ruling party submits its own bill, negotiations may be delayed. Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, said, "If the People Power Party proposes a bill that meets the public’s expectations, we will negotiate, but we do not intend to wait indefinitely." Kwon Young-se, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, criticized the opposition’s scope of the Special Investigation Act, warning, "It will result in an unfortunate outcome that only intensifies political strife and confusion rather than revealing the substantive truth."

The possibility of executing an arrest warrant for President Yoon is also a focal point of interest. With former head of the Security Office Park Jong-jun resigning and the Security Office reportedly deliberating on how to respond to the execution of the warrant, the High-ranking Officials’ Crime Investigation Office (HOCI) is highly likely to proceed with executing the arrest warrant this week. An arrest warrant has also been requested for Kim Seong-hoon, the acting head currently leading the Security Office.

Kwon Young-se, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 13th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

The opposition has claimed that President Yoon ordered the use of force to block the execution of the arrest warrant. On the same day, Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Gun-young held a press conference at the National Assembly, stating that there is a report that President Yoon, during lunch with Security Office executives the previous day, instructed them to "carry at least a knife, if not a gun, and absolutely prevent the police approaching to arrest me." According to political sources, within the Security Office, there is a clash between those advocating ‘resistance’ and those saying ‘law enforcement cannot be blocked.’

The political sphere is also sharply divided over the execution of the arrest warrant. Kim Min-seok, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, urged Acting Head Choi, saying, "The responsibility for delaying and prolonging the resolution of the rebellion, thereby ruining the economy and people’s livelihoods, lies with the People Power Party and Acting Head Choi," and called for "commanding and cooperating for a smooth and swift arrest." Conversely, Kwon Seong-dong, the floor leader of the People Power Party, mentioned the controversy over HOCI’s investigative authority and demanded, "Abandon the illegal execution of the arrest warrant and conduct an investigation that the public can accept."

Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 13th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

The Constitutional Court’s first hearing on the impeachment trial is also scheduled for this week. With President Yoon notifying his absence, both the prosecution and defense teams are expected to present their litigation strategies.

A parliamentary investigation will also proceed. The Special Committee on the National Rebellion Investigation will begin institutional reports on the 14th (covering eight military-related institutions including the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and the 15th (covering ten institutions including the Presidential Office and the Prime Minister’s Office). Although charges related to the rebellion have been disclosed in the prosecution’s indictment, it is anticipated that more vivid testimonies will emerge through the parliamentary investigation. Earlier, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik explained regarding the investigation, "Investigations by investigative agencies proceed quietly, so the process is not well visible and public suspicion may deepen," adding, "I judged that it is necessary to clarify each issue through at least minimal investigation in the open forum of the National Assembly."