A national public petition calling for the impeachment of Lee Jae-myung has garnered over 500,000 signatures in less than two weeks.

Under the national petition system, if a petition receives more than 50,000 signatures within 30 days, it is referred to the relevant standing committee of the National Assembly for review.

The petition, registered on the 26th of last month, surpassed 200,000 signatures by the 29th—just four days after its registration—and has continued to grow rapidly, having already been referred to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee as of July 3rd.

Despite this, the number of signatures has steadily increased, reaching 501,751 as of 9:00 AM (KST) on the 9th.

The petitioner, a Mr. Kim, stated regarding the purpose of Lee Jae-myung's impeachment, "As a head of state entrusted with authority under the principle of popular sovereignty, the President is responsible for fulfilling strict duties in accordance with the Constitution." He added, "However, the actions of incumbent President Lee Jae-myung clearly violate his constitutional duties, and I am submitting this petition based on the judgment that they meet the requirements for the National Assembly to initiate an impeachment motion."

The petitioner pointed out, "As a defendant in major criminal cases, the very performance of presidential duties conflicts with judicial proceedings," adding, "In particular, allegations such as the Daejang-dong and Baekhyeon-dong development scandals and the alleged payment of legal fees by Ssangbangwool are suspected not to be mere personal issues, but rather power-related corruption utilizing public office."

Furthermore, he noted, "President Lee Jae-myung's political rhetoric and governing actions are hindering national unity and undermining the neutrality of state affairs," and argued, "The current President is accelerating national division by criticizing and clashing with key state institutions and constitutional bodies, including opposition figures, the media, and the prosecution."

The petitioner also remarked, "The President's direct remarks and actions that threaten the independence of the judiciary and the National Assembly can be considered a violation of the principle of separation of powers," adding, "A President who has lost the trust of the people loses constitutional legitimacy."

In conclusion, the petitioner stated, "The President must defend the Constitution, guarantee the fundamental rights of the people, and conduct politics based on the people's trust in state affairs. However, the incumbent President continues to hold office while facing multiple criminal charges and pending judicial trials, which is causing significant fractures in the Republic of Korea's constitutional order and system of separation of powers."

Mr. Kim added, "In accordance with Article 65 of the Constitution, I strongly request that the National Assembly initiate an impeachment motion against President Lee Jae-myung and that the Constitutional Court strictly review it to uphold the constitutional order."

▲ Petition for the Impeachment of Lee Jae-myung: https://petitions.assembly.go.kr/proceed/cmtReferred/549F96A331431E69E064B49691C6967B

US NNP = Lead Reporter Sung Ku Hong / Special Report for NNP info@newsandpost.com