[Anchor]
We’re joined by Lee Se-jin from the political desk for our segment “Know the Reporter.”
Q1. The final variable in President Yoon’s impeachment trial is whether Ma Eun-hyuk will be appointed as a Constitutional Court judge. Does Acting President Choi Sang-mok plan to appoint Ma Eun-hyuk?
Yes, all attention is focused on whether Acting President Choi will appoint Ma. Last Thursday, the Constitutional Court determined that not appointing Ma would infringe on the National Assembly’s authority, and Choi has been deliberating until today. Over the weekend, he met with various figures to gather opinions. He has also convened a meeting with cabinet members in two days to further collect views. Within the ruling party, there is a belief that Choi, who has spent his life as a public servant, might feel burdened by the Constitutional Court’s decision and eventually proceed with the appointment.
Q3. The People Power Party is raising pressure to prevent Ma Eun-hyuk’s appointment, right?
Yes, they are launching a full-scale offensive. Senior Spokesperson Shin Dong-wook pressured by stating, “If Acting President Choi appoints Ma, it would be accepting the legislative dictatorship of the Democratic Party, the majority party.” Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun suggested, “There wouldn’t be anyone among the cabinet members who would advocate for Ma’s appointment. This shouldn’t be decided unilaterally; thorough consultation is necessary.”
Q4. There’s even talk of a hunger strike?
Yes, Representative Park Soo-young has started a hunger strike. He was a classmate of Choi at Seoul National University and they also passed the civil service exam together in 1985. He appealed, “I don’t want my close and longtime friend to make a mistake.” He insists that Choi should definitely not appoint Ma and should delay the decision until Prime Minister Han returns.
Q5. So, if Prime Minister Han returns, do you think Ma won’t be appointed?
That’s what the ruling party believes. There is speculation that Han’s impeachment trial might be concluded before President Yoon’s. The ruling party hopes that if Han returns this week, Ma’s appointment might not proceed. The impeachment motion for Han included the issue of not appointing a judge. If the Constitutional Court dismisses Han’s impeachment, it provides justification for continued non-appointment.
Q6. What if these assumptions hold and Han returns; what about the opposition?
The opposition will likely press Han to appoint Ma. Since the Constitutional Court ruled that Acting President Choi’s non-appointment of Ma infringed on parliamentary authority, if Han returns, he should appoint Ma.
Q7. The ruling and opposition parties interpret the same issue entirely differently.
Indeed. The Democratic Party believes that Prime Minister Han’s impeachment must be upheld. Even if it is dismissed, they downplay the significance by saying, “What changes, aside from swapping negotiation partners?”
Q8. If Han returns, would that be bad news for the Democratic Party?
Yes, it could backfire, raising questions about whether they pursued impeachment too aggressively.
That was “Know the Reporter.”