Gominjeong "Choi Sangmok's impeachment is principled, but... we could become the subject of judgment"

Go Minjeong Stresses Need for Political Consideration on MBC Radio
"Han Ducksoo and Choi Sangmok Clearly Committed Unconstitutional Acts... Impeachment Is Appropriate"
"Civic Party Must Carefully Weigh Political Repercussions," Urges Caution

Impeachment motion against Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, was reported to the National Assembly plenary session on the 2nd, led by opposition parties. Meanwhile, Go Min-jeong, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, expressed concern, saying, "We could also become the subject of another judgment." In an interview with MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 3rd, Rep. Go said regarding the impeachment of Deputy Prime Minister Choi, "Whether it is Han Duck-soo or Choi Sang-mok, it is clear that unconstitutional acts were committed, so impeachment is appropriate," but added, "It is also a point we need to consider politically."

Ko Min-jung, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Rep. Go said, "I think the (impeachment of the Deputy Prime Minister) can be divided into two aspects: one is law and principle, and the other is politics," adding, "Watching the current (President Yoon Suk-yeol) impeachment situation, I have thought a lot about whether it is right for a few judges to decide the fate of the Republic of Korea. Of course, it is a rule-of-law country, and to govern many people, there must be legal standards, so we set the law at a minimum. However, in the hearts of many citizens, Yoon Suk-yeol has already been impeached, and even though the international community has ruled that martial law is unacceptable, everything depends on the judges' decisions."

She continued, "What we need to do now is to restore politics," and said, "From the perspective of upholding the constitution and fighting against Yoon Suk-yeol's insurrectionary forces, it is clear that both Han Duck-soo and Choi Sang-mok committed unconstitutional acts, so impeachment is appropriate."

However, she pointed out, "It is also a point we need to consider politically," adding, "If the president is impeached, a presidential election must be held within 60 days. Our position as a civic society organization and as a ruling party capable of taking power is clearly different. As someone who intends to be the ruling party, we must foresee how far the repercussions will go and plan several moves ahead." She added, "While impeachment aligns with the spirit of upholding the constitution, once it enters the political realm, we could become the subject of another judgment by the people." She also said the same applies to calls for re-impeachment of Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

Earlier, on the 21st of last month, five opposition parties jointly proposed an impeachment motion against Deputy Prime Minister Choi, urging the appointment of Ma Eun-hyuk as a Constitutional Court justice. The impeachment motion was reported to the National Assembly plenary session on the 2nd. According to the National Assembly Act, an impeachment motion must be voted on by secret ballot between 24 hours and 72 hours after being reported to the plenary session. The Democratic Party did not vote on the impeachment motion at the plenary session on the 3rd and plans to discuss whether to vote on the 4th. However, to convene the plenary session, cooperation from Speaker Woo Won-sik is required, and Woo's side is reportedly deciding whether to hold the session after reviewing the verdict on President Yoon.