hankyoreh

Choo Mi-ae

As a vacuum forms in the South Korean government amid a flurry of reports corroborating charges of political meddling by Choi Sun-sil, a close confidante of President Park Geun-hye, lawmakers from the three opposition parties voiced their dismay over the state of the government in meetings of lawmakers and emergency committees on Oct. 26.

“It would be no exaggeration to say that our government is being ruled by Choi Sun-sil as queen regent,” said Choo Mi-ae, leader of the Minjoo Party.

“I’m confused about whether Choi Sun-sil is president or whether the president is Choi Sun-sil,” said Park Ji-won, chair of the emergency committee of the People’s Party

The Minjoo Party and the People’s Party refrained from officially broaching the idea of Park stepping down, being impeached, or having her entire cabinet resign, due to concerns that if they ride the wave of public anger without offering a solution to this volatile situation, they might eventually face a political backlash.

But Shim Sang-jung, leader of the Justice Party, raised the possibility of impeachment during an emergency meeting of the party’s standing committee on Oct. 26. “Park Geun-hye has lost the ability to run the country, and we ought to take action in line with the wishes of the public who are calling for her impeachment,” Shim said.

During an emergency meeting of lawmakers on Oct. 26, the Minjoo Party decided to amend its official platform to include assigning a special prosecutor to investigate Choi Sun-sil‘s meddling in public affairs. In addition, party lawmakers agreed to call for a wholesale reshuffle of personnel at the Blue House, which would include the dismissal of Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Woo Byung-woo along with Administrative Affairs Secretary Lee Jae-man, First Personal Secretary Jeong Ho-seong and Public Relations Secretary Ahn Bong-geun (who are known as the “doorknob triumvirate”).

leader of the Minjoo Party (right) talks to lawmaker Ahn Gyu-baek at the National Assembly on Oct. 26. (by Lee Jeong-woo

Lee Jae-myung, mayor of Seongnam and a member of the Minjoo Party, tweeted on Oct. 26 that “President Park should step down and the opposition should prepare for impeachment,” and ideas to this effect were bandied about during the lawmakers’ meeting. In the end, however, the party resolved to act cautiously and to watch for additional revelations and subsequent changes in public opinion.

“Currently, public sentiment consists of a mixture of anger and anxiety. Responding to that anger [by calling for Park’s impeachment or resignation] won’t necessarily lead to a solution. We need to watch our pace to maintain control over that anxiety,” said one lawmaker in the Minjoo Party of Korea. These remarks reflect uncertainty about whether the opposition parties are prepared to take power or to deal with a potential leadership vacuum. If Park steps down, a presidential election must be held within 60 days; and even Park is impeached, a ruling by the Constitutional Court could take up to 180 days.

The People’s Party also contented itself on Oct. 26 with asking Park to take “all necessary legal measures” - including confessing what she has done, repenting of her actions and replacing her advisors in the Blue House.

Aside from calls for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate Choi Sun-sil and for a thorough reshuffle at the Blue House, members of the Minjoo Party are exploring ways to resolve the paralysis in the government. Some have proposed the formation of an emergency committee or a nonpartisan cabinet.

“President Park should voluntarily submit to an investigation by prosecutors with all of the people who are implicated. Along with this, she should give up her party affiliation and form a nonpartisan cabinet in deliberation with the National Assembly,” suggested Moon Jae-in, former leader of the Minjoo Party, in an emergency statement released on Oct. 26.

“Given the approaching perfect storm that consists of the North Korean nuclear crisis, the economic crisis and distrust of the government, it seems frivolous to be talking about having a special prosecutor investigate Choi Sun-sil. An emergency committee should be formed that includes reasonable members of the ruling party, leading members of the opposition parties and elders of Korean society. To manage this crisis, this emergency committee [and not President Park] should recommend people to sit on a nonparty cabinet that can deliberate ways to handle the remainder of Park’s term and manage the coming presidential election,” said Rep. Min Byeong-du, a lawmaker with the Minjoo Party, during the lawmakers’ meeting on Oct. 26.

In related news, both independent lawmakers Yoon Jong-o and Kim Jong-hun held a press conference at the National Assembly on Oct. 26 and called for Park to step down, saying that not only is Park no longer qualified to be president, she has lost the political and moral authority to sustain her government.

The lawmakers added that if Park does not step down herself, the National Assembly ought to impeach her.

By Lee Jung-ae and Lee Se-young, staff reporters

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]