'Ruling Party's Counterattack'... Lee Jae-myung and 72 Others Including Opposition's First-term Lawmakers Accused of 'Cabinet Total Impeachment'

Broadcaster Kim Eo-jun Included
Ruling Party: "Conspiring to Prevent Exercise of State Authority"

On the 31st, the People Power Party filed a criminal complaint against Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, 70 first-term Democratic Party lawmakers, and broadcaster Kim Eo-jun on charges of conspiracy to overthrow the government over the non-appointment of Ma Eun-hyuk as a Constitutional Court justice.

The serial impeachment of Prime Minister and Acting President Han Deok-soo and other Cabinet members is argued to be not only an infringement on the executive personnel authority but also a parliamentary coup.

Joo Jin-woo, chairman of the People Power Party's legal advisory committee and a member of the National Assembly, plans to file a criminal complaint at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency at 1:30 p.m. on the same day against 72 people, including Lee, who predicted the total impeachment of the Cabinet, on charges of conspiracy to overthrow the government.

Earlier, on the 28th, 'Deomincho,' a group of first-term Democratic Party lawmakers, stated that if Ma is not appointed, they would initiate re-impeachment proceedings against Acting President Han, and that any Cabinet member succeeding the acting presidency after Han would be impeached unconditionally if Ma is not appointed.

Speaker Woo Won-shik and the floor leaders of the two major parties are meeting at the National Assembly on the 31st. From the left, Park Hyung-soo, Senior Deputy Floor Leader of the People Power Party, Kwon Seong-dong, Floor Leader, Speaker Woo, Park Chan-dae, Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Park Seong-jun, Senior Deputy Floor Leader. 2025.3.31 Photo by Kim Hyun-min

In response, Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, on the 29th announced a countermeasure to file a complaint, calling it a 'state overthrow' and 'attempted rebellion.'

Joo stated as grounds for the complaint, "The accused explicitly declared that if Acting President Han does not appoint Ma, they would push for the impeachment of the acting president and all Cabinet members, aiming to paralyze government functions," and "Kim repeatedly mentioned such 'mass impeachment' remarks through his YouTube channel."

This move by the People Power Party is a strategic attempt to shift the frame of collusion and incitement to rebellion, which was applied during President Yoon Seok-youl's emergency martial law and impeachment phase, onto the Democratic Party. It is also interpreted as an effort to highlight the controversy over the 'opposition party's parliamentary dictatorship,' which Yoon and the People Power Party cited as reasons for the December 3 martial law, thereby reinforcing reasons to dismiss impeachment outside the legislature.

Kwon Young-se, emergency response committee chairman of the People Power Party, said at the emergency response committee meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, "Many citizens have reconsidered the reasons for President Yoon's declaration of emergency martial law after witnessing the Democratic Party's reckless parliamentary dictatorship and legislative rebellion."

At the morning meeting of ruling and opposition floor leaders chaired by National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, Floor Leader Kwon also raised his voice, saying, "Impeachment judgment is a decision to remove a president directly elected by the people, so such a decision must be made with utmost caution," and "If the Constitutional Court moves according to the Democratic Party's will, can it be called an independent institution rather than a subordinate agency of the Democratic Party?"

On the other hand, the Democratic Party stated that although the warning of total Cabinet impeachment may differ from the leadership's view, it reflects the earnestness of first-term lawmakers, and if the People Power Party files a complaint, they will counter with charges of false accusation. Park Sung-joon, senior deputy floor leader of the Democratic Party, said on CBS Radio that day, "I believe the political language of the ruling party's floor leader should not become a meaningless rant," indicating an intention to hold them accountable for false accusations.

Yonhap News