Choi Sang-mok, President Authority-Acting Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance, attends a closed cabinet member meeting at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 27th. /Courtesy of News1

Choi Sang-mok, acting president and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance, allegedly stated in a foreign economic advisory meeting held privately on the 6th that "in any case, impeachment is a fait accompli."

On the 28th, Kim Yang-hee, a professor of economics and finance at Daegu University, noted in a Facebook post, "In any case, impeachment is a fait accompli... I remember the statement by Choi Sang-mok, then Deputy Prime Minister of the Economy, on Dec. 6."

Professor Kim wrote, "The Deputy Prime Minister of the Economy said this was the third impeachment experienced as a public official, calmly stating ‘in any case, impeachment is a fait accompli,’ and I remember it clearly." Kim further mentioned, "(Acting President Choi) diagnosed the problem as how long this would be prolonged and believed that statement still holds true today. Urge the appointment of the constitutional court judges for what is ‘a fait accompli impeachment.’"

In response, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance immediately refuted the claim. The Ministry explained through a press release that "Choi Sang-mok, acting president and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance, did not make any remarks implying that the impeachment of President Yoon is a fait accompli at the foreign economic advisory meeting on the 6th."