"Disgrace of Being the First Sitting President to Be Arrested"
Ruling Party Lawmakers: "We Will Inform Trump of Korea's Political Situation"
Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo, who is on a business trip to the United States, expressed his dismay over the arrest of President Yoon Seok-yeol, saying, "Such absurd things keep happening."
On the 19th, Mayor Hong announced on his Facebook, "I am going to Washington on a heavy heart," revealing that he was heading to the U.S. to attend former President Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony.
Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, who is on a business trip to the United States, lamented the arrest of President Yoon Suk-yeol, saying, "Such absurd things keep happening."
He then wrote, "The crime of rebellion, which I had only seen in lectures or academic explanations, has become a reality, and (President Yoon) has suffered the disgrace of being recorded as the first sitting president to be arrested for rebellion since Jeon Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo." He added, "I firmly believe in Solomon's proverb, 'This too shall pass.'"
President Yoon was arrested in the early morning of that day, 47 days after the December 3 emergency martial law incident and four days after being detained by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. With this arrest, President Yoon set a dishonorable record as the first sitting president in Korean constitutional history to be banned from leaving the country, have an arrest warrant issued and executed, be detained in a detention center, and finally be arrested. According to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, a president cannot be criminally prosecuted during their term, except for charges of rebellion and treason.
Members of the People Power Party attending Trump's inauguration expressed their intention to actively inform the U.S. political circles about the domestic political situation, including President Yoon's impeachment trial.
Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, attending the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, stated, "I will clearly convey the people's thoughts and positions on South Korea's political situation."
On the 18th, Representative Yoon Sang-hyun held a press conference at the National Assembly before departure and said, "We will clearly convey the thoughts and positions of the people regarding Korea's political situation," adding, "We will dispel international concerns about President Yoon's impeachment trial and the December 3 martial law incident, and thoroughly explain our people's mature will and efforts to prevent the collapse of Korea's constitutional order and to normalize state functions."
Before departure, Representative Na Kyung-won posted on social media, "I will accurately explain the unprecedented situation where the president was impeached due to the opposition party's incitement of rebellion, followed by the impeachment of the acting prime minister," adding, "An important task of this trip to the U.S. is to alleviate concerns about Korea and strengthen trust by conveying the ruling party's efforts for political stability."
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