Assembly to submit impeachment resolution against interior minister to Constitutional Court

▲ Impeachment motion introduced against interior minister Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min attends a plenary session at the National Assembly in Seoul on Feb. 6, 2023. Three opposition parties, led by the main opposition Democratic Party, introduced an impeachment motion against the interior minister the same day over the government's alleged bungled response to the Oct. 29, 2022, crowd crush that killed 159 people in the capital's Itaewon district. (Yonhap)

parliament-impeachment motion

Assembly to submit impeachment resolution against interior minister to Constitutional Court

SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly was set to submit the impeachment resolution against Interior Minister Lee Sang-min to the Constitutional Court on Thursday, a day after passing the first-ever such motion against a Cabinet member.

Rep. Kim Do-eup of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), who chairs the parliamentary legislative committee, said in a text message to reporters that the committee will submit the resolution to the court at 10 a.m.

On Wednesday, the main opposition-controlled Assembly passed the motion 179-109, with five votes ruled invalid, marking the first-ever impeachment of a Cabinet member. The move suspended Lee from his duties until the Constitutional Court decides whether to endorse or reject the motion.

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) and two minor parties introduced the impeachment motion earlier this week to hold Lee accountable for the government's allegedly bungled response to the Oct. 29 crowd crush that killed 159 people.

The court has 180 days to rule on the case.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved