(Adnkronos) – The National Assembly of Seoul has approved the impeachment motion against South Korean Justice Minister Park Sung Jae and National Police Chief Cho Ji Ho. The two were therefore relieved of their duties, until the Constitutional Court rules on the matter, on charges of having supported the application of martial law desired by President Yoon Suk Yeol. This was announced by the South Korean news agency Yonhap.
The motion to dismiss Park, the first of a Justice Minister in South Korea’s constitutional history, was approved with 195 votes in favor and 100 against. On the other hand, there were 202 votes in favour of Jo’s dismissal and 88 against. The chief of police is now hospitalized.
The National Assembly then passed a bill to establish a special prosecutor to investigate insurrection charges against the South Korean head of state, after Yoon denied the charges and declared he would not step down.
According to the prosecution, the Justice Minister “attended a cabinet meeting and the decision-making process” for the application of martial law. Furthermore “there are suspicions that he tried to secure in advance the places of detention for key figures who should have been arrested following the implementation of martial law,” the prosecution added. It was further argued that he “acted as if he did not recognize the authority of the National Assembly, demonstrating that he was in line with President Yoon’s mistaken perception of considering politicians as targets for arrest.”
As for National Police Chief Jo, the prosecution claims that he “abused his authority to command and give orders to the police and blocked the entry of members of the National Assembly, a constitutional body.” In this way “he violated the right of the National Assembly to request the abolition of martial law”.
