Kwon Seong-dong: "No Ruling or Opposition Party in the Face of Disaster... Outdoor Rallies at the Party Level Must Stop"

Political Circles Must Unite Over Wildfires Nationwide, Including Sancheong, Gyeongnam
Quorum Issue Should Be Addressed in Han Deok-su Impeachment Ruling

Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, stated on the 23rd regarding the wildfires occurring nationwide, "There can be no distinction between ruling and opposition parties when it comes to the lives and safety of the people," and appealed, "We urge all parties to halt all outdoor rallies and political maneuvers at the party level and come together to focus on overcoming this national disaster."

At a press conference held at the National Assembly that day, Floor Leader Kwon expressed condolences to those who lost their lives due to the wildfires in places such as Sancheong, Gyeongnam, and made the above remarks.

Yonhap News

He said, "In a situation where crisis response leadership is more urgent than ever, it is a very regrettable reality that the government is operating under an acting system," adding, "To prevent the national leadership vacuum from leading to command confusion or delayed response, the government must do its utmost to overcome the crisis with a clear responsibility system and swift decision-making."

Regarding the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Deok-su, which is to be ruled on by the Constitutional Court on the 24th, he said, "The core issue was whether the majority party can suspend the duties of the acting president, whom they dislike, with only 151 seats," and added, "Before obscuring the issues contained in the impeachment motion, the quorum issue should have been examined and dismissed promptly." He continued, "Tomorrow, the Constitutional Court must make a clear judgment on whether the quorum for the acting president is 151 seats or 200 seats," and warned, "Otherwise, the major opposition party will set a precedent allowing them to arbitrarily suspend the duties of any acting or interim president they dislike in the future." He further stated, "If the justices avoid this issue due to personal anxieties about the legitimacy of their own appointments, they should remember that the Constitutional Court would be granting the major opposition party an unlimited impeachment license."

Regarding the call by Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, during a press conference that morning urging the Constitutional Court to deliver the impeachment ruling on President Yoon Seok-youl on the 25th, Kwon argued, "This is because the judgment on Representative Lee Jae-myung's election law violation case is scheduled for the 26th."

On the impeachment of Choi Sang-mok, acting Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, he said, "Since Representative Lee's guilt is certain, this is merely an attempt to preempt the media by submitting an impeachment motion filled with madness beforehand," calling it a "typical madman strategy."

He added, "Representative Lee should not rush the Constitutional Court but should sincerely face his own trial first," and urged, "He should not pressure the judiciary but first promise to accept the outcome of his trial."