The DP's backfiring obstructionism
Published: 24 Jan. 2025, 00:02
The Constitutional Court dismissed the National Assembly’s impeachment motion against Lee Jin-sook, Chair of the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) on Thursday. Impeached last August just three days after taking office through the initiative of the Democratic Party (DP), Lee has returned to her post after five months.
The decision was widely expected. While four Constitutional Court justices supported impeachment, the removal of an official requires the agreement of at least six out of nine justices — a threshold that many had deemed unlikely from the start.
The DP raised issues with Lee’s actions, such as approving the appointment of KBS board members under a two-member KCC structure, as grounds for impeachment. However, after filing the impeachment motion, the DP hindered rather than facilitated a swift judicial process. At the time, Constitutional Court President Lee Jong-seok, along with Justices Lee Young-jin and Kim Ki-young, were set to retire in October after completing their six-year terms. Yet the DP delayed recommending replacements to the National Assembly. Traditionally, the National Assembly nominates one justice each from the ruling and opposition parties, with the third nomination decided by bipartisan consensus. Ignoring this convention, the DP insisted on claiming two nominations for itself.
This raised suspicions that the DP sought to prolong Lee’s suspension to paralyze the KCC. Only after the Constitutional Court accepted an injunction to suspend the seven-member quorum requirement under the Constitutional Court Act did the case move forward.
The DP’s obstructionism ultimately backfired. When President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law on Dec. 3, the National Assembly quickly passed an impeachment motion against him. However, the Constitutional Court was down to only six justices, triggering a crisis. The DP pressured acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to appoint three additional justices, but when this failed, it impeached Han instead. Acting President Choi Sang-mok eventually appointed two justices to restore the court’s functionality, but the political chaos of the past five months raises serious questions about accountability.
Lee is not the only official the DP has sought to impeach during the current administration. While four impeachment motions have been dismissed, allowing the officials to return to their duties, 10 others — including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) Chair Choe Jae-hae — remain suspended from their positions. The DP’s indiscriminate pursuit of impeachment has been cited as a contributing factor to President Yoon’s miscalculation in declaring martial law. Furthermore, the DP’s once-soaring approval ratings after the declaration have steadily declined, with some polls now showing a reversal in favor of the ruling People Power Party (PPP). This suggests that the DP’s “impeachment for impeachment’s sake” approach has alienated voters.
At a press conference on Thursday, DP Chief Lee Jae-myung stated, “Ideology and partisanship won’t put food on the table.” Yet he also criticized acting President Choi Sang-mok, accusing him of “inconsistent standards in exercising authority.” This inconsistency raises concerns that the DP may relapse into its "impeachment obsession," causing further public unease.
The DP’s politically motivated impeachment motions, combined with the president’s reckless political missteps, have cast a deep shadow over national stability. Both ruling and opposition parties must recognize a fundamental truth: however powerful elected officials may be, ignoring public sentiment and pursuing unchecked agendas will not be forgiven by the people.
Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
The decision was widely expected. While four Constitutional Court justices supported impeachment, the removal of an official requires the agreement of at least six out of nine justices — a threshold that many had deemed unlikely from the start.
The DP raised issues with Lee’s actions, such as approving the appointment of KBS board members under a two-member KCC structure, as grounds for impeachment. However, after filing the impeachment motion, the DP hindered rather than facilitated a swift judicial process. At the time, Constitutional Court President Lee Jong-seok, along with Justices Lee Young-jin and Kim Ki-young, were set to retire in October after completing their six-year terms. Yet the DP delayed recommending replacements to the National Assembly. Traditionally, the National Assembly nominates one justice each from the ruling and opposition parties, with the third nomination decided by bipartisan consensus. Ignoring this convention, the DP insisted on claiming two nominations for itself.
This raised suspicions that the DP sought to prolong Lee’s suspension to paralyze the KCC. Only after the Constitutional Court accepted an injunction to suspend the seven-member quorum requirement under the Constitutional Court Act did the case move forward.
The DP’s obstructionism ultimately backfired. When President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law on Dec. 3, the National Assembly quickly passed an impeachment motion against him. However, the Constitutional Court was down to only six justices, triggering a crisis. The DP pressured acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to appoint three additional justices, but when this failed, it impeached Han instead. Acting President Choi Sang-mok eventually appointed two justices to restore the court’s functionality, but the political chaos of the past five months raises serious questions about accountability.
Lee is not the only official the DP has sought to impeach during the current administration. While four impeachment motions have been dismissed, allowing the officials to return to their duties, 10 others — including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) Chair Choe Jae-hae — remain suspended from their positions. The DP’s indiscriminate pursuit of impeachment has been cited as a contributing factor to President Yoon’s miscalculation in declaring martial law. Furthermore, the DP’s once-soaring approval ratings after the declaration have steadily declined, with some polls now showing a reversal in favor of the ruling People Power Party (PPP). This suggests that the DP’s “impeachment for impeachment’s sake” approach has alienated voters.
At a press conference on Thursday, DP Chief Lee Jae-myung stated, “Ideology and partisanship won’t put food on the table.” Yet he also criticized acting President Choi Sang-mok, accusing him of “inconsistent standards in exercising authority.” This inconsistency raises concerns that the DP may relapse into its "impeachment obsession," causing further public unease.
The DP’s politically motivated impeachment motions, combined with the president’s reckless political missteps, have cast a deep shadow over national stability. Both ruling and opposition parties must recognize a fundamental truth: however powerful elected officials may be, ignoring public sentiment and pursuing unchecked agendas will not be forgiven by the people.
Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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