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| Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min attends a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. The assembly passed a motion to impeach Lee to hold him responsible for the Itaewon tragedy, which took 159 lives last Halloween in central Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap |
Ruling camp accuses DPK of 'unconstitutional' measure: ball is now in Constitutional Court's hands
By Lee Hae-rin
The National Assembly on Wednesday approved a motion to impeach Minister of Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, to hold him accountable for the deadly crowd crush that killed 159 people who gathered in Itaewon to celebrate Halloween on October 29 last year. With the passage of the motion, Lee has been suspended from his duties at the ministry.
This is the first time that the National Assembly passed a motion to impeach a Cabinet member.
On Wednesday, 293 out of 300 assembly members were present and 179 voted in favor of ousting Lee, with 109 objections and 5 abstentions. Initiated by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), the motion will go to the Constitutional Court for a final decision. It will take up to 180 days for the court to make a final call on the minister's fate.
In the motion, the DPK lawmakers claimed that Lee failed to prevent the deadly crowd crush from happening, even though he should take responsibility for disaster and safety measures as the interior minister.
The presidential office voiced deep disappointment at the motion.
"They abandoned parliamentarianism. The impeachment motion will be recorded as a shameful event in the National Assembly's history," the presidential office said in a press release.
Lee said he was sorry for adding to the public's concerns and vowed to do his utmost to clarify his position at the Constitutional Court.
But he also accused the opposition of abusing its power. In a statement released Wednesday, Lee said lawmakers should properly use the mandate given by the public.
"I just hope that a safety vacuum caused by the unprecedented measure can be minimized," he said.
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| Lawmakers gather at the National assembly to vote on an impeachment motion against Interior Minister Lee Sang-min in Seoul, Wednesday. Among 293 lawmakers who participated in the voting, 179 voted for the motion while 109 others opposed and five votes were nullified. Yonhap. |
A temporary vacuum of the post will not disturb the ministry's function and the government will do its utmost to fulfill its duties, an official at the presidential office said, Wednesday.
The ruling People Power Party lashed out at the DPK and other minor parties that pushed ahead with the measure, calling the motion a blemish in Korea's history and an unconstitutional riot.
Rep. Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the PPP, compared the opposition to a truck that is out of control.
"If the brakes on a vehicle are not working properly or it has other problems, the automobile can turn into a weapon that can be used in a crime," he said. "I'm afraid the DPK has become dangerous like that," he said.
The PPP voiced worries about a leadership vacuum in the interior ministry until the Constitutional Court's final decision is made. Vice Interior Minister Han Chang-seob is in charge of Lee's duties effective Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the DPK brushed off the criticism and said Lee should have stepped down from his post sooner.
The DPK floor leader Rep. Park Hong-keun said, "The current administration will be the most embarrassing administration in the history of our constitution," and criticized the government for failing to issue a formal apology for the loss of innocent lives in the Itaewon disaster.
Rep. Kim Seung-won of the DPK said the impeachment motion is the result of the assembly's 55-day parliamentary inspection to find the truth and prevent another disaster.
Based on testimonies from the bereaved families and evidence from the disaster site, 176 opposition lawmakers, including Kim, submitted the motion to hold Lee responsible for neglecting his duties to safely manage potential safety hazards to prevent disasters, thereby breaching the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety.
"The minister was aware of the disaster but did not follow the president's order or activate the National Disaster Management Agency on time," he said. "As a result, the rescue did not happen appropriately on time."
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