Proposal to Dismiss Sangmin Lee Passes National Assembly... Ruling Party Walks Out as Opposition Forces Through

Among 183 members, 182 in favor, 1 invalid
Second dismissal motion passed under Yoon administration
Ruling party visits Speaker's office in protest, opposition holds condemnation rally

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Hyun-ji] The motion to dismiss Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, pushed by opposition parties including the Democratic Party of Korea to hold him accountable for the ‘Itaewon crowd crush disaster,’ passed the National Assembly on the 11th. Members of the People Power Party walked out in protest against the dismissal motion, resulting in only opposition party members participating in the vote.

The National Assembly held a plenary session that day and approved the dismissal motion with 182 votes in favor and 1 invalid vote out of 183 members present. This marks the eighth dismissal motion passed against a cabinet member in history and the second such motion approved under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, following Foreign Minister Park Jin.

Jin Sung-jun, the Democratic Party’s senior deputy floor leader, explained the background of submitting the dismissal motion, stating, “Minister Lee violated the law that requires him, as the person responsible for disaster and safety management, to meticulously establish and implement preemptive safety management measures.” He added, “Not only did he fail in recognizing the emergency situation and in rescue and recovery efforts following emergency rescue reports, but he also delayed relaying the president’s disaster response instructions, including emergency medical treatment, to relevant agencies,” calling it “dereliction of duty.”

He further emphasized the necessity of dismissal, saying, “As the person with command and supervision authority over the police, maintaining Minister Lee’s position and authority itself is causing obstruction to the independent investigation by the Police Agency’s Special Investigation Headquarters into the Itaewon disaster.”

[Image source=Yonhap News]

People Power Party members strongly opposed the opposition’s handling of Minister Lee’s dismissal motion. Joo Ho-young, the party’s floor leader, told reporters after a rally condemning the forced passage of the dismissal motion, “Within seven months of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, they are recklessly proposing dismissal motions for Foreign Minister Park Jin and Minister Lee. They are trivializing and rendering the constitutionally mandated dismissal motion ineffective.”

Song Eon-seok, the party’s senior deputy floor leader, also said before the vote, “Isn’t the purpose of the state audit to have the police properly investigate the cause of the disaster and hold those responsible accountable? Why dismiss the Minister of the Interior and Safety before even conducting an investigation? Why did we even agree to the state audit? The ones who have outright destroyed the politics of agreement are you, Democratic Party members.”

As People Power Party members left the chamber just before the vote, the vote was conducted solely by opposition members. Before the plenary session, they collectively visited the Speaker’s office to protest and criticize Speaker Kim Jin-pyo’s decision to convene the plenary session and urged the cancellation of the session.

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