South Koreans are experiencing significant delays and disruptions in signing the online petition, which went live on June 20, calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The petition, hosted on the National Assembly’s website, has attracted over 811,000 signatures as of now.
Reasons Behind the Petition
The petition calls on parliament to introduce a bill to impeach Yoon, alleging that he is unfit for the job. The accusations against Yoon include corruption, escalating the risk of war with North Korea, and failing to prevent Japan from releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, thus exposing South Koreans to potential health risks.
Response from National Assembly and Technical Issues
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-Shik issued an apology late on Sunday for the disruptions and stated that parliament would take action to resolve the issues on the site, emphasizing the importance of upholding the public’s constitutional rights. On Monday, users faced delays of up to four hours when trying to access the petition, with error messages indicating more than 30,000 people were waiting to access the site.
Legislative Process and Political Hesitance
Despite Woo Won-Shik’s statement, there is hesitance within the parliament regarding the petition. According to the law, any petition signed by more than 50,000 people must be assigned to a committee, which will then decide whether to bring it to the assembly for a vote. However, the opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority in parliament, is reportedly hesitant to turn the petition into an impeachment bill. A spokesperson stated that the party has yet to discuss the matter.
Parliament can call for a president’s impeachment with a two-thirds majority vote. Following this, the Constitutional Court deliberates the motion and decides whether to remove or reinstate the president.
Historical Context and Current Approval Ratings
President Yoon has been unpopular since taking office in 2022, with his approval ratings hovering around 25 percent since April. South Korea’s parliament has impeached presidents twice before: Roh Moo-hyun in 2004, who was reinstated by the Constitutional Court, and Park Geun-hye in 2017, who was removed from office.
Bottom Line
The petition for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment has highlighted significant public discontent, amassing over 811,000 signatures despite technical delays. While National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-Shik has committed to resolving access issues, political hesitance within the majority opposition Democratic Party casts uncertainty over the petition’s future.
Historical precedents of presidential impeachments in South Korea underscore the gravity of the situation as the nation watches to see if parliament will advance the call for Yoon’s impeachment amidst his low approval ratings.
