Minister Lee Sang-min, who was impeached for his mishandling of the Itaewon 10.29 disaster response and was accused of not fulfilling his role as a disaster safety control tower, defended himself by saying that there was no significant violation of the law that warranted his dismissal. His legal representative, Attorney Yoon Yong-seop, argued that while the Minister of Public Administration and Security was responsible for coordinating disaster response, he did not have the power to intervene in emergency rescue activities at the disaster site. On the other hand, Attorney Kim Jong-min, representative of the National Assembly’s attorneys group, addressed concerns over the impartiality of Kim Do-eup, the chairman of the Legislative Judiciary Committee, who is from the ruling party, People’s Power, and is playing the role of a prosecutor in the impeachment trial. The Constitutional Court heard arguments from both sides and will examine the evidence before the full-scale defense of the impeachment adjudication. Only representatives from both sides were present during the preparation date for pleadings.
Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min, who was impeached for failing to properly play the role of a disaster safety control tower in the process of responding to the Itaewon 10.29 disaster, argued that “there was no violation of the law so serious that he was dismissed.”
Attorney Yoon Yong-seop, the legal representative of Minister Lee, appeared at the Constitutional Court’s preparation for the impeachment trial and said, “The Minister of Public Administration and Security is the highest overall coordinator for disaster response, but he has the right to command and supervise the emergency rescue activities at the disaster site, which was a problem in this case. , of course, has no power to intervene.”
Attorney Kim Jong-min, representative of the National Assembly’s attorneys group, responded to concerns that Kim Do-eup, the chairman of the Legislative Judiciary Committee, who plays the role of prosecutor, is passive in the impeachment trial because he belongs to the ruling party, People’s Power.
The Constitutional Court plans to listen to the arguments of both sides and sort out the issues surrounding the evidence before the full-scale defense of the impeachment adjudication on today’s preparation date for pleadings, and only representatives from both sides were present today.
In conclusion, the impeachment trial of Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min for his role in the Itaewon 10.29 disaster continues to unfold. While Lee’s legal representative argues that there was no serious violation of the law to warrant dismissal, concerns remain regarding the potential for political bias in the impeachment process. As the Constitutional Court prepares for the full-scale defense of the impeachment adjudication, it remains to be seen how the evidence will be sorted out and whether justice will be served. Stay tuned for further developments.
