Impeachment fails with the resignation of KCC chair

President Yoon Suk Yeol accepted Lee Dong-gwan's resignation as the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) chairman on Friday. This sudden acceptance of the chairman's resignation occurred just three hours before the National Assembly voted on the motion for his impeachment, which the Democratic Party had reported to the plenary session the previous day. In response, the Democratic Party declared its intention to intensify its fierce struggle against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, announcing the fast-track designation of resolutions for the 'Daejangdong 50 Billion Club Special Prosecutor' and the 'Kim Kun-hee First Lady Special Prosecutor,' collectively referred to as the 'Dual Special Prosecutors,' scheduled for the plenary session on next Friday.

The Presidential Office reported that President Yoon approved the chairman's dismissal proposal on this day. It has been only 98 days since the chairman was appointed on August 25. An official from the ruling party stated, "President Yoon's decision is to prevent the paralysis of the KCC for a maximum of 180 days in case the impeachment motion is processed. This is to minimize the disruption in operations." The Presidential Office has started searching for a candidate to nominate as the successor chairman. The chairman reportedly conveyed his intention to resign to President Yoon after the impeachment motion against him was reported to the National Assembly the day before. With the acceptance of the resignation just before the vote on the impeachment motion in the plenary session on this day, the impeachment motion was automatically discarded.

After his resignation was accepted in the afternoon, the chairman held a press conference at the government complex in Gwacheon. "It is not because of pressure from the 'the dominant opposition party’ or political maneuvers," Lee said. "If the impeachment motion pushed by the dominant opposition party is carried out, it is uncertain how long it will take for the judgment result to come out. During that time, if the BTC is practically in a vegetative state, and the National Assembly is paralyzed in the process of the bipartisan confrontation over impeachment, a public servant must avoid it even if I have to sacrifice myself."


Na-Ri Shin journari@donga.com