[News Today] KOREAN PARTIES CLASH OVER IMPEACHMENT

[LEAD]
The Democratic Party-led opposition has unilaterally initiated President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment hearing, sparking intensified partisan conflict. The People Power Party deems the hearing fundamentally invalid, claiming no attendance obligation for witnesses. Conversely, the Democratic Party maintains that the hearing follows legal procedures and threatens immediate legal action against absent witnesses.


[REPORT]
The People Power Party called an unscheduled press conference.

It severely denounced the opposition's push to hold a hearing to address an online petition demanding the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Calling it an act of violence to deny and destroy the constitutional order, the ruling party strongly insisted that the decision, railroaded by the opposition camp, is null and void.

Choo Kyung-ho / Floor leader, People Power Party
In order to shift a political burden associated with impeachment onto the people, they used a trick of reviewing the public petition at the judiciary committee.


It said that as the decision is invalid in itself, there is no responsibility for the summoned witnesses to attend the hearing.
The PPP vowed to lodge a complaint against the opposition bloc for making false accusations if they accuse witnesses of not attending the hearing.

Choo Kyung-ho / Floor leader, People Power Party
The people will never tolerate the opposition's push to hold an illegal hearing
in order to put into action their scheme to impeach....the president who was elected through voting.


The Democratic Party immediately refuted the ruling party's denouncement.


The main opposition party said that holding the hearing is legal and that the ruling party's criticism is a threat against the National Assembly.


Kim Yong-min / Legislation and Judiciary Committee (DP)
When our lawmakers are handling it legally in accordance with the National
Assembly law, what will the people think of PPP lawmakers... ...blindly condemning it as an illegal act?

Saying that if the PPP files a complaint against the opposition camp, that is what would constitute false accusations, the DP pledged to immediately take legal action against First Lady Kim Keon-hee and other witnesses if they fail to turn up for the hearing.


PARTIES CLASH OVER IMPEACHMENT
Choo Kyung-ho / Floor leader, People Power PartyIn order to shift a political burden associated with impeachment onto the people, they used a trick of reviewing the public petition at the judiciary committee.

Choo Kyung-ho / Floor leader, People Power Party
The people will never tolerate the opposition's push to hold an illegal hearing
in order to put into action their scheme to impeach...

...the president who was elected through voting.

Kim Yong-min / Legislation and Judiciary Committee (DP)
When our lawmakers are handling it legally in accordance with the National
Assembly law, what will the people think of PPP lawmakers...

...blindly condemning it as an illegal act?

Kim Seung-won / Legislation and Judiciary Committee (DP)
In Article 65 of the Nat’l Assembly law and acts on testifying before parliament, there's
a clause for pressing criminal charges against failure to attend hearing.

Due to disputes over the impeachment hearing's illegality and witnesses, the rival parties' head-on clash will likely continue for the time being.