The Korea Herald

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Another ruling party lawmaker withdraws opposition

By Lee Si-jin

Published : Dec. 11, 2024 - 14:51

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Rep. Kim Jae-sub of the ruling People Power Party speaks in a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. (Yonhap) Rep. Kim Jae-sub of the ruling People Power Party speaks in a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. (Yonhap)

Rep. Kim Jae-sub of the People Power Party announced Wednesday that he will vote in favor of President Yoon Suk-Yeol’s impeachment in a press conference at the National Assembly.

Kim told the reporters that he abstained from voting last week, feeling that the president deserved more time to make a decision.

“The resignation needs order and time. But the president is refusing to leave," he said, noting reports that Yoon may argue the legality of declaring martial law.

Criticizing the orderly resignation scenario being floated by his own ruling party, the lawmaker said such a plan ignores public sentiment and creates a constitutional vacuum. He no longer believes that the president is likely to leave on his own.

“Now, the orderly resignation is by impeachment. I am going to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol. This is the path to upholding the constitutional order of the Republic of Korea,” Kim said, using the formal name for South Korea.

According to local media reports earlier Wednesday, Kim hung a new banner reading “I will take full responsibility and complete what needs to be done” at areas near Changdong Station in Dobong-gu, northern Seoul, hinting at his changed stance from the ruling party's group boycott.

Meanwhile, the 37-year-old lawmaker had received multiple "condolence" wreaths carrying signs such as “Sincere condolences to Rep. Kim Jae-sub for abstaining from the impeachment vote” and “Time for Facebook, time for Instagram, why not for impeachment vote?” in the days after Saturday's impeachment vote.

The ruling party’s group boycott aside, the young legislator received criticism after ruling party Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun shared an episode with him on a local lawyer's YouTube channel, advising Kim to dismiss the public outrage, saying, “Even if people criticize you now, they’ll forget in a year and vote for you again.”

Pent-up anger toward the lawmaker was apparently also expressed with a utility knife that was found in front of Kim’s house, according to Dobong Police Station on Monday.

Kim was elected as the representative for Seoul’s Dobong-gu A constituency in April this year for the first time.