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Yoon's PPP decides to vote against impeachment motion, first lady probe bill

Published: 07 Dec. 2024, 16:54 Updated: 07 Dec. 2024, 17:01

SEO JI-EUN
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People Power Party (PPP) floor leader Choo Kyung-ho exits PPP chief Han Dong-hoon's office at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, Saturday afternoon. [NEWS1]

President Yoon Suk Yeol's People Power Party (PPP) said Saturday it has decided to vote against Yoon's impeachment motion and a revised special counsel probe on first lady Kim Keon Hee.

The announcement of the PPP's party platform comes just ahead of the parliamentary votes set to take place at the National Assembly starting around 5 p.m.

The special investigation bill aims to probe allegations of the first lady's involvement in a stock manipulation scandal and interference in election nominations through self-proclaimed political broker Myung Tae-kyun.

The bill's vote follows a year-long political tug-of-war characterized by repeated proposal, rejection and reintroduction. Yoon vetoed the bill three times, citing constitutional concerns and accusations of political targeting.

The Assembly is also set to vote on Tuesday on another special prosecutor bill targeting President Yoon himself. This bill focuses on his actions during the botched declaration of emergency martial law on Tuesday and alleged attempts to undermine parliamentary authority.

If approved, Yoon, who once led the special prosecutor team that investigated, arrested and indicted former President Park Geun-hye in 2016, would now find himself under investigation as a suspect.

This would also create the unprecedented situation of a sitting president and first lady simultaneously under investigation.

The liberal Democratic Party (DP) apparently strategically scheduled the vote on the first lady's special prosecutor bill ahead of the impeachment motion against Yoon to ensure the participation of PPP lawmakers in the session to avoid a failure to reach a quorum, which could derail the impeachment proceedings.

Impeaching the president requires a two-thirds majority, or 200 votes out of 300. This means at least eight PPP lawmakers need to break ranks and support the motion for it to pass.

However, the rules for re-voting on a vetoed bill are less stringent, with only 150 lawmakers required to be present, with two-thirds voting in favor. This gives the opposition an upper hand in advancing the special prosecutor bill while effectively pressuring the ruling party to attend the session to oppose it.

BY SEO JI-EUN, SARAH KIM [[email protected]]