“It will be passed at the plenary session on the 29th”
Democracy, independent initiative/decision possible
no legal force
▲ Deputy floor leader Wie Seong-gon (center), floor leader Lee Su-jin (left), and floor spokesperson Oh Young-hwan of the Democratic Party of Korea are moving to the Office of Ophthalmology with a bill to dismiss Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin following the general meeting of the House of Representatives held at the National Assembly on the 27th. 2022.9.27 joint coverage
The Democratic Party of Korea held a general meeting of the National Assembly on the 27th and decided to submit a proposal for the dismissal of Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin to hold him accountable for the controversy over President Yoon Seok-yeol’s travel diplomacy.
After meeting with reporters following the parliamentary assembly, Senior Deputy House Speaker Wie Sung-gon said, “We have decided to submit a proposal for dismissal in the name of all 169 Democratic Party lawmakers. It was a unanimous party approval without any disagreement,” he explained. He added, “The proposal for dismissal will be passed at the plenary session on the 29th.”
Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the National Assembly, said, “If the diplomatic and security lines of the presidential office are not properly held accountable, the diplomatic achievements of the Republic of Korea will disappear like a sandcastle. I urge all lawmakers to vote (plenary session) with extraordinary determination.”
Proposals for the dismissal of ministers and other members of the State Council are approved by a majority (150) with the motion of at least one-third (100) of the current lawmakers. After that, the proposal for dismissal is automatically reported to the first plenary session and voted by secret ballot within 24-72 hours. If the vote is not voted within this period, it will be automatically discarded. The Democratic Party currently holds 169 seats, allowing independent initiatives and decisions.
▲ Deputy floor leader Jin Seong-joon of the Democratic Party of Korea explains the dismissal of Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin at a general meeting of the National Assembly held on the 27th. 2022.9.27 Yonhap News
A proposal for dismissal can be proposed for reasons such as political errors, even if there is no illegal act, but there is no legal force. On the other hand, impeachment proceedings can be initiated only when the minister violates the law, and if passed, the minister’s powers can be suspended until the impeachment trial. However, even if the president exercises the veto on the proposal for dismissal, the political influence is considerable, so the burden on the ruling party is high.
Under the current ’87 Constitution’ system, the proposal for dismissal has been passed three times. In August 2001, the Grand National Party, which was the opposition party at the time of the Kim Dae-jung administration, proposed and passed a proposal for the dismissal of Unification Minister Im Dong-won and, in August 2003, a proposal for the dismissal of Minister of Government Administration and Home Affairs Kim Du-gwan. The two ministers resigned in the form of voluntary resignation. In September 2016, the Democratic Party, the opposition party, proposed and passed the Park Geun-hye administration’s proposal to dismiss Kim Jae-soo, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Reporter Jeong Hyun-yong