Rep. Park Jie-won, left, the interim leader of the People's Party, passes Democratic Party of Korea Chairwoman Rep. Choo Mi-ae, center, and Justice Party Chairwoman Rep. Sim Sang-jeung before their meeting at the National Assembly, Thursday. / Yonhap



Non-mainstreamers put brake on impeachment

By Jun Ji-hye

Lawmakers of the ruling Saenuri Party unanimously agreed Thursday to push for President Park Geun-hye's voluntary resignation by the end of April and an early presidential election in June. The move overshadowed the opposition bloc's attempt to impeach the scandal-ridden President.

The opposition parties initially planned an impeachment vote against Park, Friday, in cooperation with a group of anti-Park members of the ruling party, who had also vowed to vote for impeachment. However, the group retracted their earlier position after the President asked political parties Tuesday to decide on when she should step down.

The unanimous agreement by the Saenuri Party lawmakers virtually means that the opposition's move to impeach the President has failed because the anti-Park members hold the key to the passage of the impeachment motion.

However, the group left open the possibility of joining forces with the opposition, saying that if Park fails to clarify when she will resign next week, they will support impeaching her.

Park's term is scheduled to end in February 2018 and the next presidential election is currently scheduled for December 2017.

If the opposition put the impeachment motion to a vote, at least 28 ruling party lawmakers would have to vote in favor for its passage.

Park called on the National Assembly Tuesday to determine the details regarding her resignation during her third nationally televised speech since the scandal broke in late October. The speech was delivered at a time when there had seemed to be a great possibility for the impeachment motion to be passed as the anti-Park lawmakers had vowed to vote with the opposition.

Saenuri Party floor leader Rep. Chung Jin-suk said the party's decision was made as it assessed that a proposal from former National Assembly speakers and other retired politicians, made Sunday, was meaningful. At the time, the elderly politicians called on Park to announce her decision to voluntarily step down at the earliest possible date and leave office by April at the latest to minimize any chaos and a vacuum in state affairs.

"For the stable transition of power and for the securing of a preparatory period for the next presidential election, all members of the ruling party unanimously made a decision," Chung told reporters after the meeting. "The fact that the party made its official stance on the issue is meaningful in that we have removed uncertainty involving the political road map that is very important to the people."

He then called on the opposition parties to sincerely respond to the ruling camp's decision and come to the negotiation table to discuss the issue. Chung added that the party did not discuss the impeachment motion in the meeting.

The ruling and opposition parties are from now on expected to be engaged in fierce debate on whether to impeach Park or whether to give her some time and let her step down voluntarily.

Since the President left her fate up to the Assembly, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and the second largest opposition People's Party have voiced different views on when to push for an impeachment vote.

The ruling party lawmakers who are not affiliated with the President hold the key to passing the impeachment motion.

Park has been accused of colluding with her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil in the corruption and influence-peddling scandal. Choi was indicted Nov. 20 for allegedly interfering in state affairs and extorting local conglomerates to accumulate wealth for herself.