DPK must issue sincere apology for impeachment spree

South Korea’s Constitutional Court unanimously dismissed impeachment motions on Thursday against Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hae and three prosecutors, including Seoul Central District Prosecutor Lee Chang-soo. The court ruled that Choi’s handling of the presidential office relocation audit did not warrant removal from office. Regarding the prosecutors who investigated a stock manipulation case involving Deutsche Motors — a case linked to First Lady Kim Keon Hee — the court found no abuse of discretion or violations of constitutional or statutory law.

Despite concerns that the impeachment push, led by the Democratic Party of Korea, lacked legal grounds, the National Assembly pressed ahead with the impeachment motions on Dec. 5 last year, suspending the officials from duty for 98 days and creating a months-long void at key institutions like the Board of Audit and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which plays a pivotal role in law enforcement.

Since the start of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration, the Democratic Party of Korea has filed 29 impeachment motions, with 13 approved by parliament. Of the eight cases ruled on by the Constitutional Court, all were dismissed — most by unanimous decision. Critics argue this pattern suggests impeachment has been wielded as a tool to sideline officials deemed unpalatable by the opposition without strict legal justification. The Korea Communications Commission, for example, has seen three chairpersons and one acting chair targeted for impeachment.

There have also been accusations of politically motivated impeachments. Prosecutor Lee Jung-seop, who led the investigation into alleged illegal payments to North Korea involving Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung, was impeached over personal misconduct allegations, only to have the case dismissed by the court. Four other prosecutors, whose impeachment proceedings remain pending before the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, share a history of investigating Lee or the Democratic Party of Korea, fueling accusations of “bulletproof impeachments” designed to shield Lee Jae-myung from scrutiny.

Of course, the Constitutional Court's decision to dismiss the impeachment motions does not amount to a complete exoneration for Chairman Choi or the prosecutors, especially as the court raised questions about whether the investigation into First Lady Kim’s alleged involvement in stock manipulation was handled properly. However, this does not absolve the opposition of responsibility for disrupting state affairs through excessive impeachment attempts. The party's only gesture of reflection came when Lee said in a TV interview on Wednesday, “We don’t think we were entirely without fault.” A more responsible step for the country’s largest opposition party would be to issue a formal apology for exacerbating political instability through its reckless impeachment spree.