Just One More Vote Needed... Imminent Collapse of Impeachment Defense Line

One Day Left Until the Second Vote on Yoon's Impeachment Bill

8 Ruling Party Members Needed for Approval, Already 7 in Favor

As the second vote on President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment bill approaches, there are observations that the People's Power Party's 'defense line collapse' to protect President Yoon is imminent. For the impeachment bill to pass in this vote, 8 members of the ruling party need to vote in favor, and already 7 members have indicated their support.

According to the ruling party on the 13th, the lawmakers who have publicly stated they will vote in favor of President Yoon's impeachment bill include Kim Sang-wook, Kim Ye-ji, Kim Jae-seop, Ahn Cheol-soo, Jin Jong-oh, and Han Ji-ah, totaling 7 members. The requirement for passing the presidential impeachment bill is the proposal by a majority of the National Assembly members and approval by at least two-thirds (200 out of 300 members) of the members. With the opposition having 192 members, if just one more member from the People's Power Party declares support for impeachment, the bill is set to pass.

With Kwon Seong-dong, a key figure in the pro-Yoon faction, elected as the floor leader the previous day, the party's stance of 'opposing impeachment' is expected to be maintained. Floor Leader Kwon stated, "Currently, opposing impeachment is the party's stance," and "A party stance once decided cannot be changed or applied differently by the floor leader at will. More than two-thirds must agree to change the party stance." To change the party stance, more than two-thirds (72 members) of the members must agree.

Arithmetically, one more vote is needed, but it is reported that more than 7 members have already shifted their stance to support the impeachment bill within the party. The previous day, a representative urged support for the party stance on impeachment, saying, "Impeachment is the only way," and President Yoon's refusal of an 'orderly early resignation' in a public statement is seen as influencing the opinion within the party.

As the vote approaches, the internal opinion battle within the party is intensifying. Kim Ki-hyun, a five-term senior member of the pro-Yoon faction, stated on Facebook, "We must take responsibility but not become servile. We must not become a servile traitor to survive alone," interpreted as pressuring lawmakers to vote against. On the other hand, Kim Sang-wook, who expressed support, has started a one-man protest in front of the National Assembly's main building, urging support for impeachment by saying, "Conservatism will perish as it is. Yoon Suk-yeol is the traitor of conservatism."

A ruling party official stated, "Yesterday, the special prosecutor law for general insurrection (Special Prosecutor Act for Truth Investigation of Insurrection Acts) and the special prosecutor law for Kim Geon-hee were also set as party stances to oppose, but they eventually passed," adding, "Even if the opposition party stance is confirmed in the general meeting tomorrow morning, additional dissenting votes may emerge."

Hong Min-seong, Hankyung.com reporter mshong@hankyung.com