Ruling party blocks parliamentary motion to impeach Yoon

Ruling People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Sunday, "The prime minister will closely consult with the party to ensure that the people's livelihoods and state affairs are taken care of until the president leaves office.” This comes a day after the People Power Party blocked the impeachment bill by boycotting a parliamentary vote to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol, even after Han himself had criticized Yoon’s declaration of martial law as unconstitutional and illegal. Immediately after Han and Prime Minister Han proposed a ‘Han Dong-hoon - Han Duck-soo joint national governing system” based on Yoon’s public statement in which Yoon said he would “entrust the ruling party with countermeasures to stabilize the situation, including his tenure, to our party,” the main opposition Democratic Party rejected, saying that “The Yoon Suk Yeol rebellion is spreading into a second rebellion by Han Dong-hoon, Han Duck-soo, and prosecutors.

Han issued a public statement after meeting with the prime minister at the People Power Party office in Yeouido, Seoul, earlier in the day. “We will stabilize the situation and restore liberal democracy in an orderly manner, minimizing the disruption to the Republic of Korea and its people through an orderly early departure of the president,” Han said. “We will regularize meetings between the party leader and the prime minister at least once a week to discuss urgent national issues such as the economy, foreign affairs, and national defense through constant communication and prepare countermeasures.” Prime Minister Han said in a separate statement, “The government will pool wisdom together with the ruling party to ensure the stable and smooth operation of all national functions.”

“It is the judgment of the majority of the people that President Yoon should step down from office as he is unable to run the country properly for the remainder of his term,” Han Dong-hoon said.”Even before stepping down, the President will not be involved in national affairs, including foreign affairs. We will discuss the specific measures within the party and announce them soon.”

However, Yoon accepted the resignation of his closest confidant, Interior and Public Safety Minister Lee Sang-min, and named Oh Ho-ryong, a special advisor to the National Intelligence Service as the agency’s first deputy chief, thus exercising his personnel powers. As the ruling party has failed to specify a timeline for Yoon's departure or a concrete roadmap for restoring order to the country, and Yoon has exercised his presidential powers, criticism is mounting that the ruling party is only exacerbating the political turmoil.


조권형 기자 buzz@donga.com