"Criminal and Civil Liability Should Be Imposed on Lawmakers and Parties Leading Impeachment Dismissal"

"Need to Establish Institutional Safeguards to Prevent Abuse of Impeachment"
Aimed at the Democratic Party: "Doubtful Whether They Will Accept the Ruling on Yoon's Impeachment"

The People Power Party stated on the 17th that there is a need to actively consider holding members of the National Assembly and political parties who forcibly led impeachment accountable both civilly and criminally if the impeachment is dismissed or rejected due to significant defects in the grounds for impeachment. This is because, under the current system, there is no mechanism to hold them responsible even if the impeachment motion is dismissed or rejected.

Kwon Young-se, the emergency response committee chairman of the People Power Party, said at the emergency response committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the same day, "Now is not the time to grant the National Assembly unlimited power, but the time to create institutional safeguards to prevent the ruling opposition party from abusing impeachment."

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 17th. 2025.3.17 Photo by Kim Hyun-min

He added, "We need to reconsider the issue of immediate suspension of duties upon impeachment motion," emphasizing, "If a major party weaponizes legislative power as it does now, neither the National Assembly, the government, nor the judiciary can function properly."

Chairman Kwon pointed out, "There are even reports that some senior opposition figures directly contacted Choi Sang-mok, the acting president and deputy prime minister as well as minister of strategy and finance, to warn about the impeachment motion," calling it "a serious act that undermines the separation of powers beyond mere political intimidation if true."

He then urged the Democratic Party to clearly state an official position accepting the Constitutional Court's ruling on President Yoon Seok-yeol's impeachment trial.

Chairman Kwon pressured the Democratic Party, saying, "They are inciting that a civil uprising will occur if the impeachment is dismissed, but the Democratic Party should abandon this attitude and clearly declare as soon as possible that they will accept the Constitutional Court's decision."

Kwon Seong-dong, the floor leader of the People Power Party, also said, "To stop the current national turmoil after the impeachment ruling on President Yoon, the political circles must properly accept the impeachment trial ruling," adding, "Our party has announced an official position to accept the presidential impeachment trial result."

Floor leader Kwon further criticized, "The Democratic Party neither accepts nor reflects on the impeachment ruling, which is their eighth defeat in eight attempts," questioning, "Whether they will truly accept the presidential impeachment ruling is doubtful."

Regarding Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung facing five trials with 12 charges across eight cases, he insisted, "Leader Lee should stop intimidating the judiciary and first promise the entire nation that he will humbly accept the verdict," stressing, "The Democratic Party's shield politics itself will become a subject of national impeachment."