Anchor: The main opposition Democratic Party(DP) is set to table a motion to impeach interior minister Lee Sang-min to hold him accountable for the government's mishandling of the Itaewon crowd crush that claimed the lives of 159 people.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: During a general meeting of the main opposition Democratic Party's National Assembly members on Monday, the participants decided to submit a motion to impeach interior minister Lee Sang-min.

The opposition party claims that the minister had violated the Constitution and disaster and safety laws by failing to take appropriate steps in the aftermath of the Itaewon crowd crush last October that claimed the lives of 159 people.

The DP also considers the minister to have violated the parliamentary testimony law during a hearing by lying about his ministry’s possession of a list of bereaved families and their contact information.

DP floor leader Park Hong-keun said his party has decided to defend the values of the Constitution and to fulfill its parliamentary duty to uphold the will of the public by holding the minister accountable for the tragedy.

The ruling People Power Party(PPP), for its part, accused the opposition of attempting to deflect attention away from corruption allegations surrounding DP leader Lee Jae-myung.

The motion is set to be submitted during a plenary session scheduled for Monday afternoon, requiring a vote within 72 hours.

Passage of the motion by a majority of lawmakers would result in a suspension of the minister's authority until a ruling by the Constitutional Court, an outcome that appears likely with the DP currently holding 169 out of 300 parliamentary seats.

The latest move is an escalation from the DP's move last December unilaterally approving a nonbinding motion to dismiss the minister, which was rejected by President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.