Opposition Confirms Lee Sang-min Impeachment Motion as Overreach... Aftermath Inevitable

Constitutional Court Justice Lee Sang-min's Impeachment Trial Dismissed
Opposition 3 Parties Pass Impeachment Proposal Citing "Responsibility for Itaewon Disaster" in National Assembly
Focus on Forcing Special Law on Itaewon Disaster and Others

The Constitutional Court dismissed the impeachment trial against Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, causing political turmoil. In particular, the Democratic Party of Korea, the Justice Party, and the Basic Income Party, which had proposed the parliamentary impeachment motion to hold accountability for the October 29 Itaewon disaster, inevitably suffered a blow.

On the 25th, the Constitutional Court dismissed the National Assembly's impeachment request against Minister Lee. The court ruled, "From the perspective of the Constitution and laws, it is difficult to see that the respondent (Minister Lee) violated the Disaster and Safety Act and the National Public Service Act and failed to fulfill the constitutional duty to protect the people."

Impeachment Motion Passed in the National Assembly Amid Concerns After the Itaewon Disaster

Lee Jeong-min, Acting Representative of the Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association on October 29, and bereaved families are leaving the courtroom in tears after hearing the verdict of the impeachment trial of Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min at the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 25th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

During last year's Halloween festival, a tragedy occurred in the Itaewon area where 158 people were crushed to death. After controversies surrounding disaster prevention and subsequent response measures, the opposition parties held Minister Lee accountable and passed a motion of no confidence.

Although a National Assembly-level state audit was conducted, no follow-up actions such as dismissal of Minister Lee were taken. Consequently, the three opposition parties proposed an impeachment motion on February 6 this year, and the motion passed the plenary session of the National Assembly two days later on February 8. At that time, with all members of both ruling and opposition parties mobilized, 293 out of 299 members participated in the vote, with 179 in favor, 109 against, and 5 abstentions.

At the time of the impeachment motion, a Democratic Party lawmaker, in explaining the proposal, publicly mentioned the names of 107 victims of the Itaewon disaster who had agreed to disclose their names with their families' consent, stating, "We acknowledge that the state failed to protect its citizens, and the National Assembly holds the government accountable so that such a tragedy never happens again, hoping that the responsibility will be recorded even posthumously."

After the impeachment motion passed, Jang Dong-hyuk, the floor spokesperson for the People Power Party, warned, "The power of emotions and numbers only works up to the National Assembly. The moment you leave the National Assembly, it will become regret and shame. It will come back as a tremendous boomerang."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

‘Overreach’ Confirmed by the Constitutional Court Ruling

The fact that the entire bench of the Constitutional Court unanimously decided to dismiss the case is the most painful point for the opposition. Initially, the opposition mentioned that six constitutional court justices' approval was required for impeachment, and that the political leanings of the justices might be unfavorable.

On the same day, Representative Kim Seung-won said on MBC Radio, "When comparing the significant legal interests defined in the Constitution and the interest in upholding the Constitution, in a large-scale disaster where 159 people died, it is reasonable to expect that a political minister should be impeached or dismissed, as seen in foreign cases. However, if the constitutional justices focus only on a conservative legal interpretation or only on whether there is a physical violation of the law, conservative justices may reject the impeachment trial request."

The Democratic Party previously focused on the 5:4 split public opinion during the constitutional review of the amendment to the Prosecutors' Office Act (so-called 'complete prosecution reform law'). They expected the five progressive justices to agree with the impeachment motion. However, since all justices dismissed the case, this impeachment trial decision did not require any political judgment of progressive or conservative.

Yoo Sang-beom, senior spokesperson for the People Power Party, said, "From the beginning, this impeachment trial was baseless. Moreover, since all nine constitutional justices decided to dismiss it, it clearly revealed how absurd the impeachment motion was." He warned, "Now it is time for the Democratic Party to take responsibility. The Democratic Party's habitual impeachment disease, which aggravates public harm, must pay the price."

There is a high possibility that voices of self-reflection will emerge within the opposition regarding this decision. Earlier, the Democratic Party initially planned to pass the impeachment at the party meeting on February 2, but delayed the decision due to concerns about the effectiveness of impeachment. At that meeting, concerns were raised about the impact on the general election and the effectiveness if the impeachment motion were dismissed.

Opposition's Future Response

Although the impeachment against Minister Lee was dismissed, the opposition is expected to continue pushing for the Itaewon Special Act. Lee Jeong-mi, leader of the Justice Party, said on social media, "The enactment of the October 29 Itaewon Disaster Special Act has become even more important. We pledge to advance history by properly investigating the truth and preparing measures to prevent recurrence." The Democratic Party also stated, "We will never stop taking steps to create a safe country for the people."

Earlier, the opposition, including the Democratic Party, designated the Itaewon Special Act as a fast-track bill on the 30th of last month. The fast-track designation passed with 184 votes in favor out of 185 members present, while all People Power Party members were absent. Once designated as a fast-track bill, it can take up to 11 months before being submitted to the plenary session. This is because it undergoes committee review (up to 180 days), legal affairs committee review (up to 90 days), and plenary session submission (60 days), totaling up to 330 days. Therefore, the bill is expected to be voted on around March next year, just before the general election. It can be passed in the plenary session after May 25 next year, before the end of the 21st National Assembly's term.

Some in the opposition have also pointed out that regardless of the Constitutional Court ruling, the Board of Audit and Inspection should promptly start an audit related to the Itaewon disaster. Democratic Party lawmaker Park Yong-jin said, "The dismissal of the impeachment trial does not justify Minister Lee or President Yoon Seok-youl. The realms of law, politics, and ethics are different, and the administration's responsibility for the Itaewon disaster remains fully intact." He added, "The Board of Audit and Inspection should not postpone until the end of the year but start the audit immediately. Through this, they should actively investigate Minister Lee's responsibility and the shortcomings of the disaster response system."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party's Task Force for Responding to Minister Lee Sang-min's Impeachment Trial also demanded his resignation. TF leader Jin Sun-mi and others stated in a press release, "The president, as the appointing authority, must take appropriate measures regarding the serious violations of the Public Service Act that provoked the anger of the bereaved families and many citizens. Minister Lee, who has borne the disgrace of being the first in constitutional history to face an impeachment trial, should resign immediately if he has any conscience."

They added, "We will enact the Itaewon Special Act, designated as a fast-track bill by the National Assembly, to investigate the truth of the disaster and prepare measures to prevent recurrence. We must create a path for healing so that the bereaved families can return to their daily lives and thoroughly reorganize the disaster response system to prevent tragic disasters from recurring." While the Democratic Party expressed respect for the Constitutional Court's ruling, the Justice Party and Basic Income Party expressed regret.

Park Kwang-on, floor leader of the Democratic Party, said regarding the Constitutional Court ruling, "We respect the court's decision, but the ruling also states that the Minister of the Interior and Safety is not free from all responsibility just because he was not impeached, which is also the general public's view." Kang Seon-woo, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said in a written briefing, "With today's dismissal by the Constitutional Court, the person who should be held accountable has disappeared. Now, it is impossible to hold the government responsible for the failure in disaster response. It is a heartbreaking situation."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Sim Sang-jung, lawmaker of the Justice Party, criticized in a statement, "The Constitutional Court dismissed the state's duty to ensure the safety of its citizens. If even the minister responsible for administrative safety cannot be held accountable for this unprecedented tragedy caused by the absence of state administration, where should the people hold this political responsibility?"

Yong Hye-in, lawmaker of the Basic Income Party, said, "The shameless government that claims 'there was nothing the state could do' left the people with the impeachment of the minister as the last practical means to hold it accountable. The judiciary, with this decision, has set a precedent that no matter how many people die or are injured in social disasters, the government can neglect disaster prevention and response responsibilities and bear no legal or political responsibility."

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