Democratic Party and Four Opposition Parties Submit Impeachment Motion Against Choi Sang-mok... "Contempt for Constitutional Order"

Democratic Party Pushes Ahead With Impeachment of Choi Despite Han Duck-soo Variable
"Regardless of Whether Han Duck-soo Is Dismissed or Returns"
National Assembly Plenary Session on the 27th... "There Are Opinions on Moving Up the Date"

On the afternoon of the 21st, the Democratic Party of Korea and four other opposition parties jointly submitted an impeachment motion against Choi Sang-mok, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance. This is the 30th impeachment motion filed by the Democratic Party since the Yoon Seok-yeol administration.

The Democratic Party and the four opposition parties (Joguk Innovation Party, Progressive Party, Social Democratic Party, Basic Income Party) visited the National Assembly Secretariat in the afternoon to submit the impeachment motion against Acting Prime Minister Choi.

Yonhap News

Kim Yong-min, the Democratic Party’s Deputy Floor Leader for Policy, explained to reporters immediately after submitting the impeachment motion four grounds for impeachment: ▲complicity in the December 3rd insurrection ▲non-appointment of Ma Eun-hyuk as Constitutional Court Justice nominee ▲non-appointment of Ma Yong-ju as Supreme Court Justice nominee ▲refusal to request the appointment of a permanent special prosecutor candidate.

Deputy Floor Leader Kim said, "The executive branch is openly insulting the Constitutional Court, and the National Assembly has submitted this impeachment motion to correct this. Disrespecting the Constitutional Court’s rulings is tantamount to disrespecting the constitutional order itself, and furthermore, it is a denial and insult to the very existence of the Republic of Korea."

Jung Chun-saeng, Deputy Floor Leader of the Joguk Innovation Party, pointed out, "There are many unconstitutional and illegal acts by Acting Prime Minister Choi, but the most important is the lack of will to uphold the constitution. The president or acting president does not have the authority to refuse to appoint justices elected by the National Assembly."

Although some analyses suggested that the Democratic Party’s impeachment motion against Acting Prime Minister Choi lost practical significance as the Constitutional Court is scheduled to deliver a ruling on the impeachment trial of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo at 10 a.m. on the 24th, the Democratic Party pressed ahead with the impeachment procedure against Acting Prime Minister Choi.

Earlier that morning, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, told reporters, "Acting Prime Minister Choi has ignored the Constitutional Court’s ruling for three weeks that he has the duty to appoint Constitutional Court justices. If the highest public official disregards the constitution like this, how can the country’s order be maintained?"

No Jong-myeon, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, explained, "It is important to note that the facts do not change whether Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is dismissed or returns while Acting Prime Minister Choi is in charge. There is a non-scientific notion that impeachment cannot proceed if Prime Minister Han returns, but that is not the case."

Since the opposition parties have submitted the impeachment motion against Acting Prime Minister Choi, the procedure requires reporting it to the plenary session of the National Assembly and then holding a vote within 72 hours after 24 hours from the reporting. Currently, a plenary session is scheduled for the 27th.

Spokesperson No said, "The plenary session scheduled for next Thursday was set all at once on the 13th. There are opinions that it would be better to move it earlier. Whether we unify our opinions and inquire or inquire first and then hold additional consultations is still open."

However, Speaker Woo Won-shik is reportedly negative about holding a separate plenary session for the impeachment of Acting Prime Minister Choi, so the timing of the report to the plenary session remains uncertain.