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Political class loses reason amid delayed ruling

Published: 31 Mar. 2025, 00:00

An official from the conservative People Power Party, left, holds a sign calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol's reinstatement, while a member of the liberal Democratic Party, right, holds a sign calling for his removal from office in front of the Constitutional Court in Jongno District, central Seoul, on March 23. [JOONGANG ILBO]

As the Constitutional Court postpones its ruling on the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol, political rhetoric in Korea is spiraling beyond reason. The Democratic Party (DP), which is banking on the court upholding the impeachment, has once again floated the idea of “chain impeachments.” Floor Leader Park Chan-dae on Sunday warned acting President Han Duck-soo that if he does not appoint Ma Eun-hyeok as a Constitutional Court justice by April 1, the DP would be forced to make a “serious decision.”

First-term DP lawmakers went even further, raising the possibility of impeaching other Cabinet members who might assume the acting presidency should Ma’s nomination be left unconfirmed. This comes despite the fact that of the nine impeachment motions the DP railroaded through the National Assembly, all have been dismissed by the court. Nevertheless, the party presses on with yet more threats, undeterred by past defeats.

The DP accuses the government of deliberately stalling the Constitutional Court’s decision in order to paralyze it, alleging a plot to leave two seats vacant when the terms of Justices Moon Hyung-bae and Lee Mi-seon expire on April 18. Floor Leader Park even likened acting President Han to Choi Kyu-hah, who handed power to military strongman Chun Doo Hwan following the 1979 coup, calling him complicit in a modern-day usurpation of power. Park went so far as to warn that if the justices fail to remove President Yoon, they will go down in history as the “New Five Eulsa Traitors” — a reference to the officials who facilitated Japan’s colonization of Korea.

These kinds of inflammatory remarks, once confined to street protests, have now found their way into the chambers of the National Assembly.

A rally against President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment took place at the southern end of Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, left, as a rally in favor of his removal from office took place at the northern end on March 22. [NEWS1]

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) is faring no better in terms of restraint. Floor Leader Kweon Seong-dong declared that he would file sedition charges against 72 individuals — including all first-term DP lawmakers, party leader Lee Jae-myung and even political podcaster Kim Eo-jun — over the DP’s threat to impeach Han and other ministers. Kweon claimed that even floating such an idea was tantamount to treason, adding that “threatening Cabinet members is no different from a terrorist warning of beheadings.”

Rep. Na Kyung-won joined the fray, asserting that the DP posed a greater danger than the disbanded Unified Progressive Party, which had once been accused of plotting to overthrow the state. She demanded that the government file a petition with the Constitutional Court to dissolve the DP for violating the Constitution. With pro- and anti-impeachment rallies growing more confrontational, politicians from both camps should be trying to de-escalate tensions — not pour gasoline on the fire. Should these reckless provocations lead to violence, the political establishment will bear the blame.

The administration itself also has soul-searching to do. While the Constitutional Court dismissed the impeachment case against acting President Han, a majority of justices nevertheless concluded that his refusal to appoint a justice recommended by the National Assembly was unconstitutional and unlawful. Yet Han has remained silent on whether he intends to move forward with Ma’s nomination. The circumstances today differ from those at the time of the impeachment filing, but the acting president’s continued refusal to state his position or rationale constitutes a blatant disregard for the Court.

As tensions rise over the impeachment ruling, the government must set aside political calculations and act in a manner that earns the public’s understanding and trust.

Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.