Chronology of major events leading to court rejection of interior minister's impeachment

impeachment-chronology

Chronology of major events leading to court rejection of interior minister's impeachment

SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) -- The following is a chronology of major events leading to the Constitutional Court's rejection of the National Assembly's impeachment of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min.

The court decision immediately reinstated Lee after his duties were suspended following the National Assembly's passage of an impeachment motion on Feb. 8 to hold him accountable for last year's crowd crush that left 159 people dead in Seoul's Itaewon district.

Oct. 29, 2022 -- A massive crowd crush takes place in an alley adjoining Hamilton Hotel in Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood at 10:15 p.m.

Nov. 1, 2022 -- A special police investigation unit is launched to look into the crowd crush, and the death toll grows to 155.

Nov. 2, 2022 -- The first search is conducted at seven locations, including the Yongsang Police Station, the Yongsan Ward office, the Yongsang Fire Station and Seoul Metro, while the death toll rises to 156.

Nov. 7, 2022 -- The special investigation unit books Park Hee-young, the chief of the Yongsan Ward office; former Yongsan Police Station chief Lee Im-jae; Yongsan Fire Station chief Choi Seong-beom and others for investigation.

Dec. 30, 2022 -- The special investigation unit refers ex-Yongsan Police Station chief Lee Im-jae and several other police officers to the prosecution.

Jan. 3, 2023 -- The interior ministry officially puts the death toll from the Itaewon crowd crush at 159, including a teenage survivor who took his own life on Dec. 12, 2022. The special investigation unit refers Yongsan Ward office chief Park Hee-young and others to the prosecution.

Jan. 13, 2023 -- The special investigation unit wraps up its monthslong investigation into the crowd crush by referring 23 government officials to the prosecution on fatal professional negligence and other charges.

Jan. 18, 2023 -- The Seoul Western District Prosecutors Office indicts former Yongsan Police Station chief Lee Im-jae on charges of professional negligence causing the high death toll from the crowd crush, along with other officers.

Feb. 6, 2023 -- The main opposition Democratic Party and two minor parties introduce an impeachment motion against Interior Minister Lee Sang-min to hold him accountable for the deadly crowd crush.

Feb. 8, 2023 -- The National Assembly votes to impeach Interior Minister Lee Sang-min over the deadly crowd crush, marking the first-ever impeachment of a Cabinet member. The decision suspends Lee from his duties as interior minister.

Feb. 9, 2023 -- The National Assembly submits the impeachment resolution against Interior Minister Lee Sang-min to the Constitutional Court.

April 4, 2023 -- The Constitutional Court holds its first hearing on the impeachment case filed against Interior Minister Lee Sang-min.

July 25, 2023 -- The Constitutional Court rejects the National Assembly's impeachment of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min in a decision that immediately reinstates him as interior minister.

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