Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min, who attended the 6th Cabinet meeting in 2023 held in the Cabinet Office of the Sejong Government Complex on the 7th, is sitting down with a firm expression. Presidential Correspondents
On the 8th, the opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, will push for the presentation and vote on the impeachment motion against Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min at the plenary session of the National Assembly. If the motion for impeachment of Minister Lee is passed at the plenary session of the National Assembly, it will be the first case of impeachment of a member of the State Council in the constitutional history.
Lee Soo-jin, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, met with reporters at the National Assembly on the 7th and said, “On the 6th, the submission of the articles of impeachment by Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min was reported to the National Assembly.” It looks like it will happen,” he said. The articles of impeachment must be voted on within 72 hours after 24 hours after being reported at the plenary session. If more than half of the votes are in favor, the impeachment bill passes. The three opposition parties, including the Democratic Party, hold a majority of seats, so a vote is expected.
The variable is whether or not National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo agrees to the proposal. An official from the National Assembly said, “I think we will have to see the situation by morning.”
The ruling and opposition parties expected a vote on the impeachment motion of Minister Lee the day before and encouraged lawmakers to attend the plenary session. The Democratic Party sent a text message to lawmakers, saying, “A vote will be held at the plenary session on the 8th to dispose of the motion for impeachment of Minister of Public Administration and Security, Minister Lee Sang-min, which was adopted as a party argument.” Ho-young Joo, the representative of People’s Power, also said, “At the plenary session at 2:00 pm on the 8th, it is likely that the motion for impeachment will be introduced.”
The power of the people is expected to pursue an investigation after a referral to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee before the vote at the plenary session. Previously, the representative of the House of Representatives Joo said about the impeachment motion the day before, “I don’t think it meets the requirements for impeachment.” However, there is a high possibility that the impeachment prosecution will be rejected as it can only be investigated by a resolution of the plenary session.
If the National Assembly passes the bill of impeachment against a member of the State Council, it is expected to be recorded as the first case in the history of constitutional law. The National Assembly proposed and voted on the articles of impeachment against former President Roh Moo-hyun in 2004, former President Park Geun-hye in 2017, and Busan High Court Chief Judge Lim Seong-geun in April 2021. If the impeachment motion passes the plenary session of the National Assembly, Minister Lee’s duties will be suspended from that point until the Constitutional Court concludes.
