Leaders of ruling, main opposition parties discuss ways to ease political turmoil after Yoon impeachment

The acting leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the head of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) met Wednesday and discussed ways to ease political turmoil, party officials said, in their first meeting since President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached over his short-lived imposition of martial law.

During the meeting, Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, interim leader of the PPP, stressed that the rival parties can “manage the chaotic situation” if they refrain from engaging in excessive competition and focus instead on people’s livelihoods and the nation’s security.

He urged the main opposition DP to withdraw the impeachment motions pending at the Constitutional Court to ease its burden and to refrain from overusing its rights to raise politically motivated impeachment motions.

“It is doubtful whether the court can handle all 23 impeachment motions, including the one against the president, in a timely manner,” he said.

DP leader Lee Jae-myung called for extra budget to support people’s livelihoods and a swift restoration of “constitutional order,” emphasizing that the country is currently “very unstable.”

Lee also called on the PPP to cooperate with his earlier proposal on forming a consultative body between the parliament and the government aimed at stabilizing state affairs.

Kweon became acting head of the ruling party after former leader Han Dong-hoon stepped down Monday amid growing internal strife following the National Assembly’s vote to impeach Yoon.