The number of public petition consents to impeach Ahn Gyu-baek, Minister of National Defense, surpassed 120,000 in six days. From the opposition came voices saying this is a passage that shows "the public's concern and anxiety over the current administration's defense policy."
According to the National Assembly e-petition system on the 23rd, the "petition on the impeachment of Ahn Gyu-baek, Minister of National Defense," which was posted on the 18th, had 128,132 consents as of 4 p.m. that day. If a public petition to the National Assembly exceeds 50,000 consents, the relevant standing committee must take it up.
The petitioner said, "The Minister of National Defense is the top official who must perform the constitutional duties of national security and territorial defense," adding, "Public concern is growing over national security and troop safety due to insufficient responsible measures regarding the dismantling of the Counterintelligence Command and dispersal of core functions, and the reservist death incident."
The People Power Party pointed to the number of consents for the petition as a public warning about the Lee Jae-myung administration's defense policy. It also stressed that the Minister Ahn should explain in detail the policies being pursued, such as the consolidation and closure of service academies.
Yu Yong-weon of the People Power Party said on Facebook that day, "The fact that the public petition for the impeachment of the Minister Ahn garnered many citizens' support in just five days is a grave public warning that vividly shows how great and deep the public's concern and anxiety are about the defense policy currently being pursued," adding, "The public's patience has run out."
He went on, "Amid a grave situation in which North Korea's security threats are increasing by the day, the public feels strong anxiety over the Ministry of National Defense's irresponsible behavior that neutralizes the military's counterintelligence capability on its own and leads to the outflow of counterintelligence professionals," and noted, "The Ministry of National Defense must listen to why the public is angry and why they are anxious."