Kwon Seong-dong: "The Opposition Must Apologize for Its Reckless Political Impeachments"
Yoon Sang-hyun: "Dismissal of President Yoon's Impeachment Is the Only Answer"
Na Kyung-won: "The Democratic Party Has Lost Eight Times... They Must Apologize to the People"
The People Power Party is escalating its offensive against the opposition after all impeachment motions against personnel of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, passed by the National Assembly led by the Democratic Party of Korea, were dismissed by the Constitutional Court. This appears to be an attempt to rally public opinion in the final stages as the impeachment trial of President Yoon is prolonged.
Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, said at the party’s floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly that "Of the 29 consecutive impeachments led by the Democratic Party, all eight impeachment motions ruled on by the Constitutional Court were dismissed. Those who should be impeached for serious constitutional violations are not the Audit and Inspection Board chief and prosecutors, but Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party," urging, "The Democratic Party must apologize before the people for its political impeachment abuse and legislative rampage."
Earlier, Kwon Young-se, emergency committee chairman, stated at a press conference the day before, "Since the emergency martial law on December 3 last year, our people have finally realized the Democratic Party’s paralysis of state affairs and disruption of national order over the past two years," adding, "(Regarding President Yoon’s impeachment trial) if there is any legal flaw in the decision, it will inevitably worsen state chaos and negatively affect national unity," effectively defending President Yoon’s emergency martial law.
On the 13th, Kim Ki-hyun, Choo Kyung-ho, Na Kyung-won, and other members of the People Power Party are expressing their positions regarding the ruling on the impeachment trial of the Board of Audit and Inspection chief and prosecutors in front of the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
Although the party leadership does not participate in relay protests or petition submissions, citing them as "individual lawmakers’ personal convictions," the majority of People Power Party lawmakers are participating to support President Yoon. While it may be difficult to take the lead in such activities as making anti-impeachment relay protests a party stance could unnecessarily provoke the Constitutional Court, the party does not intend to block collective actions by its lawmakers.
Accordingly, 62 People Power Party lawmakers have expressed their intention to join the 24-hour relay protest in front of the Constitutional Court, which started on the 11th by lawmakers Yoon Sang-hyun and Kang Seung-gyu. These lawmakers plan to continue the daily protests in teams of five until the decision on President Yoon’s impeachment trial is announced. Also, 82 lawmakers, accounting for 76% of the party’s 108 members, signed the petition for dismissal of President Yoon’s impeachment, led by Na Kyung-won and submitted on the 12th.
Members of the People Power Party’s Christian group held a press conference in front of the Constitutional Court before conducting a "Walking the Path of Impeachment Dismissal" event with instructor Jeon Han-gil, who is attending the anti-impeachment rally. They stated, "Dismissal of the impeachment is the only answer. Procedural flaws do not guarantee the fairness of the outcome," and "We will walk again and again with the hope that only dismissal of the impeachment can save Korea." Attendees included lawmakers Yoon, Yoon Jae-ok, Cho Bae-sook, Sung Il-jong, In Yo-han, Kim Min-jeon, Lim Jong-deuk, Lee Jong-wook, Park Chung-kwon, Kim Jong-yang, Lee In-seon, and Kim Jang-gyeom.
Lawmaker Na also held a relay protest in front of the Constitutional Court calling for dismissal of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment and criticized in a press conference, "Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, has lost eight times in eight attempts and should apologize to the people for the political serial impeachments and dismissals," adding, "We will consider filing charges for abuse of power and claims for damages against the Democratic Party’s violent political impeachment used as a shield."
She also urged the Constitutional Court, saying, "The Constitutional Court has played the role of an accomplice in the paralysis of state affairs by dragging out even simple cases. We once again urge a swift conclusion on the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Minister of Justice Park Sung-jae," warning, "Otherwise, the Constitutional Court will not be free from responsibility."
On the other hand, voices supporting President Yoon’s impeachment are losing ground as "personal convictions." When lawmaker Kim Sang-wook, who voted in favor of lifting the emergency martial law on December 3 and the impeachment motion against President Yoon, recently said, "I will go on a hunger strike if President Yoon’s impeachment is dismissed," a message demanding disciplinary action against him was posted in the ruling party’s Telegram group chat the day before. Lawmakers Cho Bae-sook and Kang Seung-gyu agreed with the request for disciplinary action by lawmaker Kang Min-guk, while Kim responded, "As a conservative, I hold the conviction to protect the constitutional order, democracy, and the rule of law, and my belief that the president should be impeached is part of that."
On the 14th, after the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol was passed in the National Assembly plenary session, Kim Sang-wook, a member of the People Power Party, remained alone in his seat in the plenary hall while all his party members had left. Photo by Kim Hyun-min
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