The Constitutional Court dismissed the impeachment motions against three prosecutors, including the head of the Board of Audit and Inspection, Choi Jae-hae, and the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Lee Chang-soo, on the 13th, leading ruling party prospects to target the responsibility of the opposition, stating it was an 'expected outcome' and 'they should apologize to the public.'
Former People's Power representative Han Dong-hoon noted on Facebook just after the Constitutional Court dismissed the impeachment motions against Choi and three others, saying it was an 'expected outcome.'
He argued, 'The essence of the impeachment motions against the four public officials dismissed today is personal revenge and conflicts of interest.'
Despite there being no clear unconstitutional or illegal reasons, he pointed out that the impeachment motions were pushed forward against Choi, who had audited the concealment of the shooting of public officials in the West Sea during the Moon Jae-in administration, the phase-out of nuclear power, and statistical manipulation, as well as against Lee, who oversaw the Baekhyeon-dong and Seongnam FC cases involving Lee Jae-myung, the representative of the Democratic Party.
Former representative Han stated, 'The impeachment trial score of the Democratic Party under Lee Jae-myung is now 8:0 (dismissed: approved),' and pointed out the opposition's 'impeachment abuse.' In fact, out of 13 impeachment motions passed in the National Assembly, led by the opposition since the start of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, 8 have been dismissed. The budget used by the National Assembly for responding to impeachment trials, including attorney fees, is reported to be approximately 460 million won.
Former representative Han emphasized that the constitution that allows opposition's legislative dominance must be changed. He reiterated his commitment to the 'era change theory' that he has been advocating since resuming political activities.
He stated, 'The 'restraint' presumed by the 1987 system can no longer be found,' adding, 'Now, we need to stop the 'most dangerous individuals' and close the door on the expired 1987 system before moving on to a new era. Constitutional amendments, a new era, and the spirit of sacrifice for that new era are the values we need to pursue on our path.'
People's Power lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo urged Lee to apologize to the public, citing the national governance paralysis caused by the impeachment.
He criticized, 'The Constitutional Court's decision to dismiss the impeachment against the head of the Board of Audit and Inspection today clearly shows that the Democratic Party of Lee Jae-myung has paralyzed the Board of Audit and Inspection for an extended period without legitimate reasons,' adding, 'The Democratic Party of Lee Jae-myung has abused legislative power excessively, undermining the balance and checks of the separation of powers, which is fundamental to democracy in South Korea.'
Earlier, the Constitutional Court unanimously dismissed the impeachment motions against Choi and three prosecutors. It determined that the impeachment grounds claimed by the opposition, including inadequate audits related to the transfer of the presidential office and the alleged involvement of First Lady Kim Keon-hee in stock manipulation concerning Deutsch Motors, were not serious enough to violate the constitution or laws.