MOTION FOR PARK JIN’S DISMISSAL PASSED

[Anchor Lead]

The opposition-controlled National Assembly late Thursday passed a motion calling for the dismissal of Foreign Minister Park Jin. It is the first approval of such a motion on a Cabinet official's dismissal under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. The main opposition Democratic Party which holds 169 out of 300 parliament seats pushed through the motion which it earlier introduced. The ruling People Power Party strongly protested the move saying it will be judged by the Korean public.

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A motion calling for the dismissal of Foreign Minister Park Jin was approved in a parliamentary plenary session. Out of 170 lawmakers in attendance, 168 voted for, one objected and one abstained. This comes just two days after the motion was introduced by the DP. After the approval, the main opposition bloc pressed President Yoon Suk-yeol to accept the motion by all means.

[Soundbite] Park Hong-keun(Floor Leader, Democratic Party) : "A great majority of the public believe Yoon’s overseas trip failed or was lacking. To ignore that as if nothing happened would be more problematic."

Meanwhile ruling PPP lawmakers collectively left the plenary chamber in protest, and held a rally denouncing the DP's move. They argued the opposition was destroying cooperative politics and waging an assault on parliament.

[Soundbite] Joo Ho-young(Floor Leader, People Power Party) : "Slapping a no-confidence vote on the foreign minister as he carries out official duties for nat’l interest is like back-stabbing him."

The dismissal motion is only symbolic and not legally binding and so the president can refuse to accept it. However, as such a motion is a right of the legislature enshrined in the constitution, the president's refusal will come with a political burden. In the past, there have been six approved motions for a Cabinet minister's dismissal and five of them stepped down. President Yoon touted Minister Park's competence saying the Korean people will be able to tell right from wrong, essentially hinting that he would not accept the motion.