Parties split over '7 missing hours' for impeachment

By Kim Hyo-jin

A group of Saenuri Party lawmakers who are not affiliated with President Park Geun-hye remain at odds with the opposition parties over her whereabouts during the Sewol ferry sinking just two days ahead of an impeachment vote.

Anti-Park lawmakers of the ruling party requested the opposition, Wednesday, to remove the “seven missing hours” as one of the reasons listed in the impeachment motion, claiming it is a major hurdle to securing enough votes from the ruling bloc.

The opposition parties, however, rejected the call, as her administration’s botched rescue operations during the sinking is one of the key factors behind public anger.

The anti-Park faction, consisting of about 40 lawmakers in the 128-member ruling party, holds the key to the passage of the motion, which requires a two-thirds majority in the 300-member legislature, provided 172 opposition and independent lawmakers vote unanimously.

Rep. Hwang Young-cheul, a spokesman for the faction, said some lawmakers are torn on whether to vote for the impeachment motion as they disagree with including Park’s partial absence on the day of sinking as a reason to impeach her.

Hwang said the faction members want the opposition to only mention allegations made against Park by the prosecution.

“There are Saenuri lawmakers who say they will vote differently depending on whether the motion mentions Park’s seven missing hours,” Hwang told reporters after a meeting of the faction earlier in the day.

“The public tell us the Assembly should pass the impeachment motion. In order to make it happen, we hope the opposition will consider accepting our call.”

But he added it is not a condition that will affect the faction’s participation in the vote.

The motion, signed by 171 opposition and independent lawmakers, is scheduled to be put to a vote in the National Assembly, Friday.

Park has been under pressure to resign due to the corruption scandal involving her friend and secret adviser Choi Soon-sil. In late November, prosecutors identified Park as an accomplice and criminal suspect in their indictment of Choi on criminal charges including abuse of power and extortion.

Three opposition parties submitted a joint impeachment motion against Park, Dec. 3, that included a statement reading Park violated the people’s right to life as stated by the Constitutional Court, through dereliction of duty on April 16, 2014, the day of the sinking, which claimed more than 300 lives, many of them schoolchildren. The charges noted by the prosecution were also included.

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) rejected the anti-Park faction’s call. DPK floor leader Woo Sang-ho said, “We decided to reject it at a Supreme Council meeting considering the public anger toward the incident.”

The minor opposition People’s Party agreed. Party floor leader Rep. Park Jie-won said, “We will keep the motion as written because people’s attention is focused on Park’s whereabouts.”