April 26, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] The National Assembly on Dec. 9 voted on the bill to impeach President Park Geun-hye over her links to corruption involving confidante Choi Soon-sil and for neglecting her duties as the nation’s elected leader.

The rare move to force the incumbent president out of power came amid escalating public protests over a chain revelations about Park. Allegations against her include that she had for years been under the control of a corrupt civilian friend while failing to make key decisions, especially during crises such as the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014.

“President Park Geun-hye has not only forgotten her duty as the nation‘s leader and administrative chief but also violated the Constitution and other laws concerning her public duties,” said Rep. Kim Kwan-young of the People’s Party, presenting the opposition-motioned impeachment bill to the floor.

Her key charges included leaking confidential documents to civilian friend Choi, letting her meddle in key state affairs and top personnel decisions, and allowing her to force conglomerates to donate funds or offer benefits to Choi and her associates. She is also suspected of exerting pressure upon media companies that reported on Choi‘s wrongdoings and of failing to issue rescue orders at the time of the Sewol ferry sinking. Her opponents say all of these allegation constitute violations of the presidential obligations as stated by the Constitution.

The opposition-dominated National Assembly opened a plenary session at 3 p.m. to vote on the motion.

The prime focus was whether or not the consenting ballots from the ruling Saenuri Party will number at least 28, the minimum needed for the opposition camp to attain the quorum to have the impeachment bill passed.

When combined with independents, the three opposition parties -- the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, the runner-up People’s Party and the progressive minority Justice Party – currently constitute 172 seats in the 300-seat legislature. That leaves them 28 short of the required two-thirds majority needed to secure impeachment.

While the legislature took the watershed vote, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae kept a resigned silence, predicting a likely passage of the impeachment bill.

Presidential Chief of Staff Han Gwang-ok chaired a meeting of senior secretaries in the morning to discuss countermeasures to possible outcomes.

The president was said to remain in her residence, away from the operation offices and the press office, keeping watch on the parliamentary voting outcome on television.

Neither Park nor her spokesperson Jung Youn-kuk made a public appearance or deliver an official remark. This formed a contrast with former President Roh Moo-hyun who, on the eve of the parliamentary impeachment vote back in 2004, had held a press conference to offer his stance.

“All we can do is to keep a close watch,” said a senior official.

Another official admitted that the most likely scenario was the approval of the bill and that the Blue House was keen to know the total number of votes.

The number of impeachment supporters is estimated to linger in the 210-220 range. If the number of consenting votes exceeds 220, it indicates that a number of pro-president figures have changed their allegiance.

If the bill is voted through, Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun is to sign the impeachment document and deliver it to the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee. The committee chairman, Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the Saenuri Party, is then to file the impeachment motion to the Constitutional Court and also deliver a copy of the petition to the presidential office.

During the Constitutional Court’s deliberations, which could last for up to 180 days, Park is to have her presidential authority suspended and the prime minister is to take charge as acting president.

Parties, however, remain divided on whether current Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn should play this role.

“Once the impeachment bill is voted through, everything should proceed as according to the Constitution,” said Rep. Hwang Young-cheul in a radio interview with SBS.

“We shall sternly defend the nation’s constitutional order from those who attempt to paralyze state affairs for the sake of their own political interests in the upcoming presidential election.”

Rep. Hwang is a leading figure of the Saenuri‘s nonmainstream group, which has been voicing dissent against the president and advocating impeachment.

He also alluded to complaints against opposition parties for refusing to recommend a valid candidate to replace him as prime minister, as the president had earlier suggested.

But it is the opposition‘s claim that Hwang, largely deemed a right-hand man to Park, is unqualified to replace the outgoing president.

“Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn as well as the rest of the Cabinet should resign en masse, following the impeachment bill passage,” said the Democratic Party chief Rep. Choo Mi-ae in a party meeting.

“The impeachment motion also includes the public‘s vote of no confidence in the Cabinet.”

Some, in spite of their approval of ousting Park, also expressed some concern over the political and economic uncertainty that may follow impeachment.

“While we were preoccupied with impeachment, our economy and people’s livelihoods have been on the wane,” said Rep. Park Jie-won, the floor leader of the People‘s Party.

“What matters henceforth is how we respond and offer visions to the people’s confusion and anxiety.”

Catching the public attention at the scene were 40 family members of the Sewol ferry victims, who attended the session upon the invitation of the Democratic Party.

“We have realized that truth (concerning the Sewol accident) may never come to light as long as the Park administration is in charge,” Yoo Kyeong-keun, the committee head of the Sewol Families for Truth and a Safer Society, told reporters before entering the hall.

“Impeachment will mark the start of a new era in which we may reveal the truth about the Sewol and step forward into a safe society.”

Their presence was expected to exert pressure on the Saenuri lawmakers who had reserved their stance over impeachment, flustered between their conventional political allegiance and the public’s anti-Park sentiment.

By Bae Hyun-jung/The Korea Herald (tellme@heraldcorp.com)