Report on Choi Sang-mok's Impeachment Motion in National Assembly Plenary Session

The impeachment motion against Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Strategy and Finance, initiated by the Democratic Party and other opposition parties, was reported in the National Assembly plenary session on the 2nd.

The impeachment motion against Deputy Prime Minister Choi was proposed on the 21st of last month with the participation of 188 members, including 187 from the Democratic Party, the National Innovation Party, the Progressive Party, the Basic Income Party, and the Social Democratic Party, as well as independent member Kim Jong-min. This plenary session is the first held after the impeachment motion was proposed. According to the National Assembly Act, the impeachment motion is automatically reported at the first plenary session after it is proposed.

The reasons for impeachment include △condoning and abetting the December 3 martial law △failure to appoint Constitutional Court Justice nominee Ma Eun-hyuk and Supreme Court Justice nominee Ma Yong-joo △not recommending a candidate for the permanent special prosecutor for rebellion.

The vote must take place within 72 hours after 24 hours of the report. The quorum for passing the impeachment motion is 151 members, which is a majority of the total number of National Assembly members, allowing the Democratic Party, which holds 170 seats, to pass it independently. The Democratic Party plans to wait until the verdict on President Yoon Seok-youl's impeachment trial scheduled for the 4th, without voting on the impeachment motion in the plenary session on the 3rd.

Jin Young-gi, Hankyung.com Reporter young71@hankyung.com