{"id":2201787,"date":"2023-07-26T08:00:16","date_gmt":"2023-07-25T23:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2201787"},"modified":"2023-07-25T16:11:20","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T07:11:20","slug":"south-korean-constitutional-courts-verdict-on-interior-ministers-impeachment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/07\/south-korean-constitutional-courts-verdict-on-interior-ministers-impeachment\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korean Constitutional Court\u2019s verdict on interior minister\u2019s impeachment"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Constitutional Court of South Korea has unanimously voted to <\/span>reject<\/span><\/a> the <\/span>impeachment<\/span><\/a> of interior minister Lee Sang-min. The impeachment motion was initiated by the National Assembly, primarily controlled by the opposition Democratic Party, in the aftermath of last year\u2019s <\/span>crowd-crush incident in Itaewon<\/span><\/a> that resulted in 159 fatalities. This ruling was issued 167 days after the impeachment motion was passed and 269 days after the crowd-crush incident. The key issues considered by the court were whether Lee had adequately executed his duties concerning public safety to prevent the tragedy and whether the government\u2019s response was appropriate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The justices noted Lee\u2019s <\/span>previous statement<\/span><\/a> that there was not a large enough crowd in Itaewon to be particularly concerned about. He later asserted that dispatching more emergency service personnel could not have prevented the crowd crush incident. The remarks drew swift condemnation from Democratic Party lawmakers, who interpreted the statement as an evasion of responsibility. Four out of nine justices ruled his comment violated Article 63 of the <\/span>State Public Officials Act<\/span><\/a>, which mandates that public officials maintain dignity. However, the justices unanimously agreed that the remark was not a sufficient basis for dismissal from office.<\/span><\/p>\n

This decision effectively reinstates Lee in his role as the interior minister. Shortly after the court\u2019s ruling, Lee <\/span>described<\/span><\/a> the case as an \u201cexhausting political dispute.\u201d The presidential office also weighed in, <\/span>asserting<\/span> that<\/span><\/a> \u201cthe majority opposition party\u2019s abuse of the impeachment process will face the people\u2019s stern judgment.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why It Matters<\/b><\/p>\n

The Yoon administration will likely use the Constitutional Court\u2019s decision to reject the impeachment of interior minister Lee Sang-min to exonerate President Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s decision to <\/span>defend<\/span><\/a> Lee. Government officials will also likely use the court\u2019s ruling to rejuvenate Yoon\u2019s public image, especially among his supporters, and potentially stem the <\/span>slide in his approval ratings<\/span><\/a> over the past few weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the verdict arriving just months ahead of April\u2019s parliamentary elections, it could invigorate the ruling People Power Party, solidifying its base by demonstrating judicial support for Yoon despite the <\/span>majority of justices<\/span><\/a> having been appointed by Yoon\u2019s progressive predecessor, former President Moon Jae-in. Constitutional Court justices serve single six-year terms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conversely, the Democratic Party will likely attempt to leverage this decision to its advantage, appealing to voters\u2019 sentiments and frustrations over the government\u2019s handling of the Itaewon incident. With the court\u2019s ruling, no senior government official has been held responsible for the crowd-crush incident. By painting this verdict as an example of a failing system, the Democratic Party could strive to rally supporters and those disenchanted with the Yoon administration, potentially turning the tide in its favor for the upcoming elections.<\/span><\/p>\n

Domestic Politics<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Constitutional Court of South Korea has unanimously voted to reject the impeachment of interior minister Lee Sang-min. The impeachment motion was initiated by the National Assembly, primarily controlled by the opposition Democratic Party, in the aftermath of last year\u2019s crowd-crush incident in Itaewon that resulted in 159 fatalities. This ruling was issued 167 days […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10407,"featured_media":2201788,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[27],"class_list":["post-2201787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-briefings","tag-domestic-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nSouth Korean Constitutional Court\u2019s verdict on interior minister\u2019s impeachment - KOREA PRO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/07\/south-korean-constitutional-courts-verdict-on-interior-ministers-impeachment\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"South Korean Constitutional Court\u2019s verdict on interior minister\u2019s impeachment - KOREA PRO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Constitutional Court of South Korea has unanimously voted to reject the impeachment of interior minister Lee Sang-min. 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