Impeachment Dismissal of Audit Board Chief Proves Martial Law Legitimacy?… Kim Sang-wook "If Emergency Martial Law Was Not Enforced, the People Would Have Judged the Opposition"

Kim Sangwook's Radio Interview
Dissolution of the Ruling Party for Presidential Rebellion Conviction... "It's Concerning"
"We Have No Choice But to Decide on Yoon's Removal"

Regarding the dismissal of the impeachment of the Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman and the Seoul Central District Prosecutor General by the Constitutional Court, Kim Sang-wook, a member of the People Power Party, emphasized on the 14th that "it shows that the constitutional order is functioning properly." This was a rebuttal to President Yoon Seok-yeol's lawyer's claim that the dismissal of the impeachment by the Constitutional Court confirmed the legitimacy of the martial law declaration.

In an interview with MBC Radio on the same day, Kim said about the Constitutional Court's ruling the previous day, "I think the impeachment attempt against the Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman and the prosecutor was an excessive impeachment," adding, "It could have been a politically wrong impeachment, but because the constitutional order is functioning properly, the Constitutional Court judged it to be wrong."

Yonhap News

He said, "If there had been no emergency martial law, (through the Constitutional Court's ruling on the opposition party's impeachment) the people would have made the judgment," and added, "(The people) would say that the Democratic Party made an excessive impeachment, which was wrong, so it should be judged later through elections or public opinion, and that is democracy."

The normal democratic process involves impeachment prosecution, the Constitutional Court's judgment, and public evaluation of it, but it is pointed out that President Yoon's emergency martial law interrupted this normal function.

Earlier, after the Constitutional Court's dismissal of the impeachment against the Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman and others, President Yoon's lawyers held a press conference in front of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, claiming, "President Yoon's emergency martial law was declared due to the president's concern over attempts to paralyze state affairs and destroy the constitutional order through impeachment aimed at undermining, shielding, retaliating, and betraying," and "The eight impeachments that caused the emergency martial law are being dismissed, and the legitimacy of the emergency martial law is increasingly being proven."

Regarding the Democratic Party's preparation of a party law bill that would subject the president's affiliated party to dissolution proceedings if the president is confirmed guilty of charges related to rebellion, Kim said he was "concerned." He expressed a reserved stance on the suggestion that the People Power Party, the president's affiliated party, might be dissolved depending on the trial outcome. He explained, "There is some seemingly valid reasoning," adding, "Rebellion is a serious crime, literally treason in the old days, so a party that produced such a president could, depending on the case, be considered an unconstitutional party denying the constitutional order." However, he pointed out, "It could also lead to guilt by association and be abused for political strife."

Meanwhile, Kim reiterated his position that he would "fast until death" if the Constitutional Court dismisses the impeachment trial against President Yoon. He said, "I think the moment the impeachment is dismissed is the moment democracy stops," and added, "Doesn't dismissal of the impeachment mean that emergency martial law can be declared again on December 3?" He stated, "As a lawyer, I tried to write a decision dismissing the impeachment, but no matter how much creativity I applied, it didn't come out," and "They have no choice but to decide dismissal, and if dismissal is not decided, the people will not accept it."