Rejection of Sangmin Lee's Impeachment Proposal... Ruling Party: "Disaster, Politicization" Opposition: "Government Responsibility Remains"

Kim Ki-hyun "Deserves to Apologize Profoundly to the People"
Park Kwang-on "Must Apologize and Reflect to the Victims"

After the impeachment motion against Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min was dismissed on the 25th, the ruling and opposition parties expressed contrasting reactions. The People Power Party criticized the opposition, saying, "They used a national tragedy as a tool for political strife," while the Democratic Party of Korea and the Justice Party sharpened their stance, stating, "Although the motion was dismissed, there are clearly parts of the government that must take responsibility."

On the day, the Constitutional Court unanimously dismissed the impeachment motion with all nine justices in agreement. Minister Lee was impeached by the National Assembly on February 8 this year for his inadequate response to the Itaewon tragedy. The Constitutional Court judged, "Considering that the respondent (Minister Lee) continuously received reports from related agencies and requested instructions and cooperation while moving to the scene during the disaster, it is difficult to assess that his disaster response method was so negligent as to significantly undermine public trust in government policy and administration."

On the 25th, ahead of the impeachment trial verdict for Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min regarding the inadequate response to the Itaewon disaster, the legal representatives from the National Assembly and those from Minister Lee's side showed different expressions before the verdict at the Grand Chamber of the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Ruling Party: "Addicted to Impeachment Like a Drug"

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, pointed out through his social network service (SNS) on the day, "As a result of truth-finding through police investigations and national audits, no illegal acts warranting impeachment were found," adding, "Nevertheless, the major opposition party must sincerely apologize to the public for the evil act of using a national tragedy as a tool for political strife solely for party interests."

Kim said, "The 'back-alley politics' that causes social unrest while addicted to impeachment like a drug, cleverly amplifying the anger of those suffering, and seeking political gain will no longer work," emphasizing, "The Democratic Party must take political responsibility for dismantling the control tower responsible for national safety through an unconstitutional impeachment motion, which caused tremendous chaos."

Kim also urged Minister Lee to "devote himself wholeheartedly to making South Korea safe" immediately upon returning to duty. After returning to his post, Minister Lee stated, "With this dismissal decision as an opportunity, we must stop the exhausting political strife related to the October 29 tragedy and unite our efforts so that such pain is never experienced again." He is scheduled to visit flood damage sites in Cheongyang-gun, Chungnam, in the afternoon.

Yoo Sang-beom, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, said, "The fact that not a single justice recognized grounds for impeachment confirms how baseless and exaggerated the impeachment motion pushed by the Democratic Party was for political strife," adding, "If the Democratic Party apologizes after today's Constitutional Court decision, it would still be considered a party with common sense, but I firmly believe they will not apologize."

"Not a Get-Out-of-Responsibility Card for the Itaewon Tragedy"

While respecting the Constitutional Court's decision, the Democratic Party stated, "There are clearly responsibilities that must be borne."

Park Kwang-on, floor leader of the Democratic Party, met with reporters at the flood damage site in Buyeo, Chungnam, and said, "The Constitutional Court's decision states, and it is the general public's view, that the Minister of the Interior and Safety is not free from all responsibility just because he was not impeached," adding, "No one has apologized for the Itaewon tragedy yet. We urge him to apologize to the victims, reflect on this, and pledge before the public to thoroughly prepare measures to protect the lives and safety of the people."

On the 25th, when the Constitutional Court dismissed the National Assembly's impeachment petition against Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, members of the October 29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Council and the Citizens' Countermeasure Meeting are expressing their stance in front of the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Regarding the criticism that impeachment is an unconstitutional act, he dismissed it by saying, "Impeachment is a system guaranteed by the Constitution. Saying that pushing for impeachment is unconstitutional just because the motion was dismissed is equivalent to arguing that the National Assembly should not exercise constitutionally guaranteed actions. That is an unreasonable claim."

Lee Jeong-mi, leader of the Justice Party, also criticized, saying, "Just because the impeachment motion was dismissed does not mean that President Yoon Seok-yeol or Minister Lee Sang-min received a get-out-of-responsibility card for the Itaewon tragedy," adding, "Whether Minister Lee will continue to live a useless life, merely holding the title of minister while wasting taxpayers' money, or humbly accept the political judgment that he is no longer qualified to serve as minister is up to him."

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