Impeached South Korean minister over Itaewon crowd crush

The Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min of South Korea was impeached on Wednesday by the opposition-controlled parliament, which held him accountable for the government’s inadequate preparedness and response to the October crowd crush that claimed nearly 160 lives.

Lee’s duties are suspended following his impeachment, and the Constitutional Court has 180 days to decide whether to permanently remove him from office or restore him to his position.

Until the Constitutional Court renders a decision regarding Lee’s fate, Vice Minister Han Chang-seob will serve as interim minister.

Lee is regarded as a crucial friend of President Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative, whose office responded angrily to his impeachment, charging opposition members with betraying the principles of legislation and writing “shameful history.”

Lee, the first Cabinet minister to be impeached by the National Assembly, apologized to MPs following their 179-109 vote to remove him from office.

In addition to expressing hope that the gap in public safety would be filled, he stated he would defend his case before the Constitutional Court. The rising standoff Yoon faces in a parliament controlled by his liberal opponents is highlighted by Lee’s impeachment, which may worsen the nation’s partisan political conflict and widen the rift in society.

Before her liberal successor granted her a pardon in December 2021, Lee was dismissed from office by the Constitutional Court and imprisoned for corruption.

Itaewon’s crush has been dubbed a “manmade disaster” by some experts, who feel that it could have been avoided with a few easy changes, like hiring more police and public servants to monitor bottleneck points, enforcing one-way walk lanes, blocking narrow pathways, or temporarily closing Itaewon’s subway station to stop large crowds of people moving in one direction.