Lee Jae-myung: "Passing of Yoon's Impeachment is Not Yet a Victory... Responsible Party is Important"

Democratic Party: "Ruling Party's Support Votes Fall Short of Expectations"

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, stated to Democratic Party lawmakers on the 14th, after the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol was passed in the National Assembly plenary session, "This is not yet a victory."

Roh Jong-myeon, the Democratic Party's floor spokesperson, told reporters after the Democratic Party's general meeting that day, "The leader mentioned that a conflict situation requiring careful response could continue for a considerable period," and added, "The appearance of a responsible and trustworthy Democratic Party and National Assembly is important."

When asked by reporters what Lee's statement of 'not a victory' meant, Roh explained, "It can be a victory in terms of reflecting the will of the sovereign, but it is not a victory for politicians or lawmakers of a particular party." He further stated, "While the result that the people wanted has come out, it can be celebrated, but it can also be misinterpreted and misunderstood."

Roh also mentioned, "The leader said that the energy from the square should be used as a driving force for positive changes in our society," and added, "We are realizing through this opportunity that it is important to routinely reflect the demands of the sovereign in politics."

The Democratic Party evaluated the ruling party's defection votes during the impeachment motion vote against President Yoon as "far below expectations." The vote that day resulted in 204 in favor, 85 against, 3 abstentions, and 8 invalid votes, passing the impeachment motion against President Yoon. Roh stated, "It fell far short of the numbers expected by the people and was slightly lower than what the floor leadership had assessed."

Reporter Bae Seong-su baebae@hankyung.com

Reporter Jeong Sang-won top1@hankyung.com