By Kang Seung-woo
The three opposition parties urged the Constitutional Court, Tuesday, to speed up its deliberations on the National Assembly’s impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.
They also called on the acting president, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, to remain low-key in handling administrative affairs and focus on “maintaining the status quo.” They proposed a meeting with him to discuss ways to normalize state affairs as well as his role until the court makes its ruling.
The parties also said Hwang should cooperate with the Assembly investigation into the corruption scandal involving President Park and her longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil.
The agreement was made among the leaders of the parties — the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae, the second-largest opposition People’s Party interim leader Kim Dong-cheol and the minor opposition Justice Party Chairwoman Sim Sang-jeung.
The National Assembly voted in favor of impeaching Park, Friday, and the Constitutional Court now has 180 days to determine whether or not to endorse the impeachment.
“We will make efforts with the people for the Constitutional Court to quickly review the impeachment,” said Choo, adding the opposition bloc should speak in a concerted voice calling for the court’s swift verdict.
The Constitutional Court said Monday that its nine justices will deliberate all nine impeachment charges before its final decision on Park’s fate, which drew a backlash from the opposition.
“It does not make sense that the Constitutional Court is adopting a wrong position,” said the People’s Party interim leader.
“The court needs to finish reviewing the charges as soon as possible to end the current political instability, so if any of them meet the requirements of impeachment, it should end its deliberation right there.”
On Monday, National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun also expressed his hope that the Constitutional Court will quickly review Park’s impeachment so the country can get on with state affairs and the lives of the people, expecting the court to make its ruling in the near future.
Even before the impeachment vote, the opposition insisted Hwang step down and take joint responsibility for the current political turmoil, out of concern the prime minister, a key associate of Park, may pursue the President’s “controversial” policies, including the state-authored history textbooks for middle- and high-school students.
They plan to propose a meeting soon.
“The meeting will be focused on how Hwang and the opposition can cooperate on state affairs and the role he should play as acting head of state,” DPK spokesman Rep. Youn Kwan-suk said during a joint press briefing.
A large number of constitutionalists say Hwang’s role should be kept to a minimum to maintain the status quo because a nominated prime minister cannot exert the same authority as an elected president.
In that respect, an interim leader is unauthorized to appoint Cabinet members or Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges, let alone sign a pact or an agreement with other countries, they said.