Opposition's Final Ultimatum to Yoon... "Urging Dismissal of Minister Lee Sang-min by the 28th"

One Month Since Itaewon Tragedy: Deadline Set
Calls for Yoon and Himself to Declare Their Positions

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The opposition party has issued a final ultimatum to the government, demanding the dismissal of Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min by early next week, marking one month since the 'Itaewon tragedy' occurred.

On the 25th, Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated at the party's Supreme Council meeting, "President Yoon Seok-yeol is urged to take action regarding the dismissal of Minister Lee by next Monday (28th), which is one month since the tragedy occurred."

He added, "It is already very late. If there is still resistance by then, the National Assembly will step in directly to hold those responsible for the tragedy strictly accountable."

Floor leader Park criticized, "The special investigation team is stuck circling around frontline officers without taking a single step toward the key higher-ups. The biggest cause is Minister Lee. As the person with overall responsibility for the Itaewon tragedy, the minister who should be subject to police investigation is still holding on as the supervisor of the police."

He continued, "Especially during this recent search and seizure, Minister Lee’s office was excluded, clearly confirming where the special investigation team’s no-go zones are. The investigation under Minister Lee’s Interior Ministry police special team is proving why a special prosecutor is necessary."

He said, "If the president truly wants to uncover the truth, he should not just call for a thorough investigation in words, but the dismissal of Minister Lee should come first. Even one month after the tragedy, our National Assembly can no longer just watch the Yoon administration protect Minister Lee."

In a subsequent back briefing, Floor leader Park explained, "We are now ultimately demanding that the dismissal be finalized with the minister himself. Either he takes responsibility and is dismissed, resigns voluntarily, or the National Assembly, on behalf of the people, will have no choice but to clearly question his position and fulfill its duties directly."

He said they will observe whether the government responds by the final deadline of the 28th. He added, "We will wait until Monday, and if there is no change in position, we will clearly state how we will proceed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.