The nation’s two major political parties clashed on Wednesday at the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee over a motion to impeach Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok.

The Democratic Party and the People Power Party exchanged heated words over whether it is appropriate to seek Choi’s impeachment and over Choi’s refusal to promptly appoint Ma Eun-hyuk as a Constitutional Court justice. 

Democratic Party Rep. Park Hee-seong said Choi degraded a constitutional institution, citing the Constitutional Court ruling that Choi infringed on the National Assembly’s authority in deferring Ma’s appointment. 

When asked about the note Choi received from former President Yoon Suk Yeol during a Cabinet meeting held shortly before Yoon declared martial law, the finance minister reiterated that he had not opened the note given the surreal circumstances. 

Meanwhile, People Power Party Rep. Song Seog-jun claimed the motion to impeach Choi is part of a string of impeachment motions from the Democratic Party, citing 30 earlier attempts by the party to impeach government officials. 

Rep. Cho Bae-sook of the same party denounced the Democratic Party’s claims that Choi is an “insurrection sympathizer,” saying it is excessive to put such labels on Cabinet members who were not informed in advance that Yoon would declare martial law.