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DP proposes impeachment motion against acting President Choi Sang-mok

Published: 21 Mar. 2025, 12:11 Updated: 21 Mar. 2025, 17:05

Acting President Choi Sang-mok pledges his allegiance to the Korean flag before a Cabinet meeting at the government complex in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Dec. 31. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The liberal Democratic Party (DP) proposed an impeachment motion against acting President Choi Sang-mok on Friday.

In a statement released in the morning, the DP accused Choi of “playing pretend-president while the entire nation remains in chaos due to the insurrection,” referring to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief attempt to impose martial law on Dec. 3 last year.

The DP filed the impeachment motion against Choi at around 2 p.m. with support from four minor parties including the Rebuilding Korea Party, the Jinbo Party, the Basic Income Party and the Social Democratic Party.

The DP’s move to impeach Choi came over three weeks after the Constitutional Court ruled that he had infringed upon the National Assembly’s authority to appoint three justices by refusing to approve Ma’s nomination.

However, the court also ruled that it could not compel Choi to appoint Ma, and the acting president has held off on moving forward with the nomination.

Choi’s impeachment is the 30th to be initiated by the DP since Yoon took office in May 2022.

In its statement, the DP further accused Choi of “abandoning his obligation to help end the insurrection and restoring stability,” instead “issuing vetoes” and “indulging in luxury.”

“The Democratic Party will hold acting president Choi accountable through impeachment for being lost in a fleeting illusion, obstructing the end of the insurrection and preventing the restoration of stable governance.”

The DP also filed a complaint against Choi with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials the same day, accusing the acting president of bribery and blackmail.

“The acting president was actively involved in the past scandal of President Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil,” said the DP. “He is seriously unfit to serve as the head of the administration."

Update, March 21: Added details of impeachment motion
Update, March 21: Added details of complaint to anti-corruption agency

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]