Im Dong-gwan Impeachment Proposal Reported to National Assembly Plenary Session... 'Voting Procedure Expected on 1st in Plenary Session' (Comprehensive)

Report on the Impeachment Proposal for Prosecutors Son Junseong and Lee Jeongseop
Plenary Session to Be Held on the 1st for Voting Procedure

The impeachment motion against Lee Dong-kwan, Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, and prosecutors Son Joon-sung and Lee Jung-seop was reported to the plenary session on the 30th. Following the reporting of the impeachment motion, the National Assembly must hold a plenary session to vote on the matter within 72 hours after 24 hours have passed. The People Power Party opposes holding the plenary session on the 1st of next month, stating that the session is for budget approval and should not proceed without a budget agreement. However, the Democratic Party of Korea plans to proceed with the vote on the impeachment motion, arguing that the schedule has already been agreed upon.

On the same day, the National Assembly held a plenary session to carry out the reporting procedure for the impeachment motion against Chairman Lee and others. Initially, the People Power Party opposed holding the session, claiming it was scheduled for budget approval. On the other hand, the Democratic Party argued that the session was scheduled according to a bipartisan agreement made at the opening of the regular session and was unrelated to the budget. In relation to this, just before the plenary session, members of the People Power Party protested in front of the Speaker’s office, opposing the convening of the session and demanding the resignation of the Speaker, accusing him of biased parliamentary management.

Even after the plenary session was held amid difficulties, the chief deputy representatives of both parties engaged in procedural speeches, exchanging arguments over the impeachment motion.

Icicles have formed on the Han River near the National Assembly as the ruling and opposition parties continue their standoff by reintroducing the impeachment motion against Lee Dong-gwan, Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission and prosecutor of the Democratic Party, ahead of the plenary session on the 30th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Lee Yang-su, Chief Deputy Floor Leader of the People Power Party, pointed out procedural issues regarding the impeachment motion, which was proposed and then withdrawn on the 9th. He further argued that "Chairman Lee has not violated the Constitution or laws during his three months in office," stating that the grounds for impeachment are not met. He also mentioned that Prosecutor Lee led the investigation into the North Korea remittance case involving Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, criticizing that "there are even accusations that the Democratic Party is using impeachment as a means of obstructing or retaliating against the investigation." Lee emphasized that "impeachment should be used cautiously as a last resort under strict conditions" and criticized that "impeachment is being degraded into a tool for political strife in the National Assembly."

In response, Park Joo-min, Chief Deputy Floor Leader of the Democratic Party, stated that the withdrawal procedure of the impeachment motion was "properly handled" and that "it does not fall under the principle of ne bis in idem, so the report was made today and the vote can be held tomorrow." Regarding Chairman Lee’s impeachment, he claimed that "the Korea Communications Commission, an administrative body based on consensus, has been operated with only two standing commissioners including himself, violating the founding purpose of the Commission to ensure independence and neutrality until the 16th of this month, as well as the Broadcasting Act." Regarding Prosecutor Lee’s impeachment, he alleged that "he used his status as a prosecutor to check criminal records such as wanted records of ordinary citizens, used a ski resort exclusively that was closed due to the COVID-19 ban on gatherings of fewer than five people, received accommodation and meal expenses from executives of large corporations, and even covered up a drug investigation involving his brother-in-law." He added, "These allegations have grounds, and recently a search warrant was issued by the court, and a search was conducted."

Regarding the impeachment motions against Chairman Lee and prosecutors Son and Lee, Rep. Jang Dong-hyuk of the People Power Party requested referral to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee for in-depth discussion, but the motion was rejected after a vote, leaving only the plenary session vote procedure.

The key issue going forward is whether the plenary session will be convened on the 1st of next month. In this regard, the Democratic Party is treating the convening of the plenary session on the 1st as a fait accompli based on the agreed schedule during the regular session. The Speaker of the National Assembly is also reportedly intending to hold the plenary session, so the impeachment case against Chairman Lee and others is expected to be processed after 2 p.m. on the 1st, once 24 hours have passed since the report.

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