The Democratic Party condemns the dismissal of Lee Jin-sook's impeachment as "Lee Jae-myung faction's impeachment overuse and the true face of legislative dictatorship revealed"

Kwon Seong-dong: "Democratic Party's Obsession with the Korea Communications Commission Chairperson Stems from Desire to Control Broadcasting"

Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, criticized the dismissal of the impeachment motion against Lee Jin-sook, Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, by the Constitutional Court on the 23rd, saying, "The true face of Lee Jae-myung's faction's rampant impeachment and legislative dictatorship has been revealed."

Floor leader Kwon made this statement after releasing a position statement at the National Assembly that morning, adding, "I hope the impeachment decision against Chairperson Lee will serve as a warning against Lee Jae-myung's faction's impeachment dictatorship and media suppression."

Shortly after taking office on July 31 last year, Chairperson Lee appointed Kim Tae-gyu as vice-chairperson and newly appointed six members recommended by the ruling party among the nine directors of the Korea Broadcasting Culture Promotion Foundation (the major shareholder of MBC), and recommended seven candidates for KBS directors.

The Democratic Party raised issues with the review and resolution conducted under the two-person system of the Korea Communications Commission and passed the impeachment motion at the National Assembly on August 2 last year, the third day after Chairperson Lee took office. After 172 days of deliberation, the Constitutional Court dismissed the motion with a 4 (dismissal) to 4 (acceptance) vote among the justices. Chairperson Lee returned to her duties immediately upon the ruling.

Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, is attending the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 23rd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Regarding the 172 days it took for the Constitutional Court to dismiss the motion, Floor leader Kwon claimed, "The Constitutional Court allowed the political maneuvering of the Democratic Party and its leader Lee Jae-myung." He continued, "She was suspended from duty for 172 days despite working only three days. It took 172 days for a common-sense decision to be made, and just paralyzing the Korea Communications Commission for 172 days means that Lee Jae-myung's faction's strategically malicious impeachment of Chairperson Lee was successful," he pointed out.

Regarding the impeachment attempts against the Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission repeatedly made by the Democratic Party, he said, "Among the 29 impeachment motions Lee and the Democratic Party have recklessly filed, 6, or 20%, were against the Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission." He added, "Former Chairperson Lee Dong-gwan resigned after three attempts, former Chairperson Kim Hong-il voluntarily resigned, and Acting Chairperson Lee Sang-il was impeached and forced to resign. The Democratic Party's obsession with the Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission is due to their desire to control broadcasting and the media."

Furthermore, he fiercely criticized, "When Hitler came to power in 1933, the first thing Propaganda Minister Goebbels did was to consolidate media companies. Even now, Lee Jae-myung, who spares no means or methods to seize control of broadcasting, can be understood by looking at Goebbels."

In response to a reporter's question about whether discussions are underway within the ruling party regarding the National Assembly's candidate for the Korea Communications Commission, Floor leader Kwon said, "We are reviewing several candidates and will be ready to recommend them as soon as talks with the Democratic Party begin. Now, the Democratic Party should no longer delay the formation of the Korea Communications Commission."

Choi Hyung-doo, the ruling party's secretary of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee, also demanded, "Since the 22nd National Assembly, the committee has been preoccupied with impeachment motions against the Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission and discussions about the two-person system for the past seven to eight months. As a standing committee responsible for AI, science, technology, and information and communications, restore the five-person system, abandon futile obsessions with media control, and recommend two Korea Communications Commission members from the Democratic Party."

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