Staging outdoor rallies cannot solve the crisis

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Staging outdoor rallies cannot solve the crisis

Published: 03 Nov. 2024, 19:42 Updated: 04 Nov. 2024, 15:43

The Democratic Party (DP) has launched a drive to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol through an outdoor rally in central Seoul. Most lawmakers of the majority party, including its leader Lee Jae-myung, and other protesters staged a massive demonstration to denounce first lady Kim Keon Hee for repeatedly intervening in national affairs.

The rally appears to be aimed at pressuring the governing People Power Party (PPP) and the president to cooperate with the opposition’s special motion to investigate the first lady’s alleged corruption. But the real goal of the protest was to oust the president from power. The DP pledged to continue such outdoor rallies to form public opinion against the presidential couple — and finally impeach the president in the National Assembly just like it did at the end of 2016 before impeaching President Park Geun-hye.

The controversy over a power broker called “Myung Tae-kyun” — who was apparently involved in the president’s alleged violation of the election law — shocked the people. But if the DP orchestrates an outdoor rally against the president, it crosses the line. We wonder why a majority party resorts to an outdoor rally.

The DP must help find the truth behind the power abuse instead of inciting the public. The suspicion over the first couple’s intervention in nominations before the 2022 by-election hasn’t been confirmed yet. The DP had better prepare an effective system to find the truth behind the broker’s schemes.

Given the deepening uncertainties of the world and our economy, the majority party must refrain from taking to the streets to achieve its political goal. After North Korea’s dispatch of its troops to Russia, tension is fast deepening on the Korean Peninsula. Depending on the results of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election, South Korea may need to draw up a completely new foreign policy strategy. The government must also address the weakened competitiveness of our chip industry. The majority opposition shouldn’t be engrossed in inciting the people just for its political gains.

The DP must first ask itself whether the massive outdoor rally was aimed to put pressure on the bench before it delivers its first rulings in the two volatile cases involving Lee’s alleged election law violation and subornation of perjury before the 2022 presidential election.

If President Yoon doesn't apologize for the first lady’s abuse of power, promise to suspend her official activities and colossally reshuffle the presidential office, he won’t able to overcome this crisis. The prosecution also must get to the bottom of all the suspicions surrounding the power broker. As the prosecution’s investigation targets must include the presidential couple, we hope the presidential office will actively cooperate with its probe.