National Assembly to Deliberate on Petition for Presidential Impeachment

The number of National Assembly petitions for President Moon Jae-in’s impeachment topped 100,000 on March 2. According to the petition review rules of the National Assembly, one of its standing committees must deliberate on the issue and the committee is likely to be the Legislation and Judiciary Committee in this case.

In the online petition system revised on Jan. 9, a standing committee of the National Assembly must conduct deliberation on each case to which 100,000 or more people give their consent within 30 days. The Secretariat of the National Assembly will report the impeachment case to National Assembly Chairman Moon Hee-sang and refer it to a standing committee in the near future.

The first petition for his impeachment was submitted on Feb. 28 and the number reached 100,000 in just four days. The National Assembly petition requires personal identification based on a mobile phone or the like whereas the Blue House petition requires no personal identification. This reflects how people are upset and nervous about the government’s response to the ongoing spread of COVID-19.

The petitions, however, are unlikely to reach a plenary session of the National Assembly. The standing committee can deliberate on the petitions for up to 90 days. Those are likely to disappear at the end of the 20th session of the National Assembly given that the session is scheduled to end on May 30