The Democratic Party of Korea faces criticism after its repeated impeachment motions against top officials in the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. The party, which holds a majority in the National Assembly, has initiated several impeachment trials that critics argue lack justification. Despite this, none of the motions have been approved by the Constitutional Court.
According to the National Assembly Secretariat, the cost of these impeachment trials amounts to approximately 460 million won ($316,000). These expenses have raised questions about the necessity and fairness of such motions. The Democratic Party has passed 29 impeachment motions, leading to the suspension of 13 top officials. However, none of these motions have been upheld by the Constitutional Court.
Ruling People Power Party Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok expressed concern over the significant use of taxpayer money. He emphasized that Koreans have the right to know why so much public money is spent on these contentious impeachment efforts. Jang criticized the Democratic Party for pushing ahead with impeachment motions that, in his view, lack solid grounds.
Lee Jin-sook, chair of the Korea Communications Council, also weighed in on the issue. She noted that if the Democratic Party had to bear the costs of failed impeachment cases, they would likely be more selective in their motions. This sentiment was echoed by People Power Party Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, who proposed a bill to reduce government subsidies for political parties that pursue impeachment motions without bipartisan support or a valid impeachable offense.
The controversy is further intensified by the Democratic Party’s recent statement about impeaching the prosecutor general, Shim Woo-jung. The party has threatened this move if Shim does not resign following the prosecution’s decision not to appeal the court ruling that released President Yoon from detention.
As the debate continues, questions about the fairness and effectiveness of impeachment motions remain at the forefront of South Korean politics. The Democratic Party’s impeachment efforts have drawn attention not only for their high costs but also for the lack of bipartisan consensus surrounding them. The discussion about reforming the impeachment process is likely to intensify in the coming months.
