Cho Kuk "Impeachment Possible Without Guilty Verdict... The Moment of Crossing the Threshold Will Come"

Jo Guk, leader of the Jo Guk Innovation Party, stated, "If the president's words and behavior are unconstitutional, impeachment can be pursued even if there is no criminal conviction."

On the morning of the 16th, Jo appeared on the YouTube channel 'Kim Eo-jun's Humility is Difficult News Factory' and criticized President Yoon Seok-yeol's prosecution personnel appointments and allegations of interference in the investigation of Chae Sang-byeong. He described the appointment of the new Seoul Central District Prosecutor General and Deputy Prosecutor General as "an unprecedented event since the founding of the Republic of Korea," and regarding the suspicion that the presidential office intervened in the investigation of Chae Sang-byeong, he said, "If the allegations accumulate gradually through the Corruption Investigation Office's investigation, I believe the moment will come when the threshold is crossed."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is shaking hands with Cho Kuk, leader of the Innovation Party for the Nation, after the Buddha's Birthday Celebration Ceremony marking the 2568th year of the Buddhist calendar held at Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 15th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

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In response to the host's question, "Is this the opening of the war?" Jo replied, "(President Yoon) did not give the opposition party any choice." He added, "I believe it will be a strong confrontation until the end of the year," and said, "The opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, must steel their resolve." Furthermore, he emphasized, "For impeachment to occur, it only requires responsibility to the extent that charges can be filed; if the president's words and actions are unconstitutional, that is sufficient," and noted, "Even when former President Park Geun-hye was impeached, there was no guilty verdict."

He stated, "President Yoon has not only failed to change the national policy direction after the general election but has decided to overturn public sentiment, and this decision was clearly revealed through the prosecution personnel appointments." He continued, "There were talks that former Seoul Central District Prosecutor Song Kyung-ho would become the next Prosecutor General, but he was sent to Busan under the guise of a promotion," and claimed, "He was sent to Busan because he intended to summon First Lady Kim Geon-hui." He added, "There will likely be further appointments of chief prosecutors, and I think the investigation team related to Mrs. Kim might be disbanded."

Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party. [Image source=Yonhap News]

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Jo claimed, based on media reports, that President Yoon interfered in the investigation of Chae Sang-byeong. He said, "Because President Yoon said something, Lee Si-won, the Secretary for Public Office Discipline at the presidential office, called the Ministry of National Defense official, and Kim Gye-hwan, then commander of the Marine Corps, took action." Regarding the reason for President Yoon's actions, he said, "It is completely incomprehensible from a rational standpoint," and added, "There was a very irrational reason for this choice, and that reason may have come from himself or someone very close to him."

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