Lawmaker who voted against impeachment to flip vote, calls martial law ‘inexcusable wrongdoing’

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Lawmaker who voted against impeachment to flip vote, calls martial law ‘inexcusable wrongdoing’

Published: 10 Dec. 2024, 11:56

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Conservative People Power Party Rep. Kim Sang-wook speaks at a press conference held in Yeouido, western Seoul on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

Conservative People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Kim Sang-wook — one of the three lawmakers from his party who voted on Saturday’s impeachment motion — said he believes President Yoon Suk Yeol should be removed from office.

“I will vote yes on the next impeachment motion with deep remorse, against the president who plotted the anticonstitutional and antidemocratic martial law,” said Kim, a first-term lawmaker, to the press at the National Assembly complex in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Tuesday.

While Kim did vote with the two other PPP lawmakers, Reps. Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim Yea-ji, on the night of the impeachment motion on Saturday, he voted against the motion in line with his party's platform.

The Democratic Party (DP) voted on a motion to impeach Yoon for declaring martial law on Dec. 3, which required 200 votes to pass. The PPP boycotted the motion en masse by not showing up to vote, resulting in the session collapsing due to the failure to meet the quorum.

“The declaration of martial law is an inexcusable wrongdoing that directly goes against conservative values,” Kim said Tuesday. “There is no excuse for it. [Yoon’s actions] must be strictly punished to ensure it does not happen again.”

Conservative People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Kim Sang-wook, center, composes himself before voting on the impeachment motion after returning to the National Assembly chamber following the ruling party's walkout before the vote on Saturday. [YONHAP]

"In fact, I was in favor during the previous vote as well,” Kim told reporters after the press conference. “As you know, the motion was on the verge of being scrapped, and I wanted to send a message to both the ruling and opposition parties, as well as to the public, to overcome factionalism."

Kim also said that many PPP members agree with him on the impeachment.

“They will come together when the time comes,” said Kim. “While there are no guarantees, there are enough people to push the impeachment motion to passage.”

Kim also said Saturday that he "will vote for impeachment if measures that the people will be satisfied with do not happen until the next impeachment vote."

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]