Impeachment Motion Against Shim Ujeong Referred to Judiciary Committee
If Choi Sangmok Is Impeached in Plenary Session,
Lee Jooho to Serve as Acting President
On May 1, the Democratic Party of Korea is expected to attempt to process an impeachment motion against Choi Sangmok, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Economy and Finance, at a plenary session of the National Assembly. The Democratic Party has also submitted an impeachment motion against Prosecutor General Shim Ujeong.
Prior to the plenary session convened to address the supplementary budget bill, the Democratic Party held a full meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and put to a vote the "Adoption of the Investigation Report on the Impeachment Case of the Minister of Economy and Finance (Choi Sangmok)." Lawmakers from the People Power Party opposed the motion.
The Democratic Party believes that, with the adoption of the investigation report by the Judiciary Committee, a vote on the impeachment motion can now proceed in the plenary session. Noh Jongmyeon, Democratic Party spokesperson for the floor, stated, "We expect the impeachment motion against Deputy Prime Minister Choi to be put to a vote today." The decision to impeach Deputy Prime Minister Choi appears to have been influenced by the resignation of Han Ducksoo, acting president and prime minister. Noh explained, "There are more than enough grounds for Deputy Prime Minister Choi's impeachment, but the main consideration was that it would become difficult to pursue impeachment if not done now," adding, "It cannot be said that Acting President Han's resignation is entirely unrelated."
Although the final decision by National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonshik and other procedural steps remain, if the impeachment motion against Deputy Prime Minister Choi is brought to the plenary session as the Democratic Party asserts, Choi, who would have had to assume the role of acting president due to Han's resignation, will be suspended from duty and unable to serve as acting president. If the impeachment motion against Deputy Prime Minister Choi is passed in the plenary session, Lee Jooho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, will assume the role of acting president.
Meanwhile, the impeachment motion against Prosecutor General Shim, submitted by the Democratic Party, has been referred to the Judiciary Committee. In the plenary session, the motion to refer Prosecutor General Shim's impeachment to the Judiciary Committee passed with 180 votes in favor and 1 against out of 181 members present. The People Power Party did not participate in the vote to protest the impeachment motion against Prosecutor General Shim.
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