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DP warns of impeaching Defense Minister if ‘armed forces’ sent to Ukraine without parliamentary consent

The Democratic Party (DP) warned Wednesday it will pursue the impeachment of the Defense Minister if the government decides to send “armed forces” to Ukraine to monitor North Korean troops without parliamentary consent.

Seoul is reportedly considering sending a team of South Korean officials, likely made up of intelligence officials and North Korea specialists from the spy agency and the military, to Ukraine. The team’s purpose would be to analyze the tactics employed by North Korean troops deployed to help Russia’s war efforts.

Citing Article 60 of the Constitution, which grants the National Assembly the authority to approve “the dispatch of armed forces overseas,” DP Rep. Kim Byung-joo argued during the party’s Supreme Council meeting that “sending even one person overseas is equivalent to the dispatch of the armed forces.”

“If the government sends troops to the battlefields in Ukraine without parliamentary consent, the DP will take various measures, including the impeachment of the Defense Minister,” the lawmaker said.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party (DP), at the party’s Supreme Council at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Wednesday. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Kim accused the government of attempting to bypass parliamentary consent by labeling the deployment as a “monitoring team” or “observers.”

“This is an extremely dangerous act of volunteering for a proxy war between North and South Korea,” he said, suggesting the team could be used for psychological warfare against Pyongyang or interrogating North Korean prisoners of war.

During the meeting, DP Rep. Lee Un-ju also stressed that the act of recklessly intervening in another country’s war against the overwhelming majority will of the people and putting their lives at risk “will never be forgiven.”

Yonhap

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The Korea Daily Digital Team
The Korea Daily Digital Team
The Korea Daily Digital Team operates the largest Korean-language news platform in the United States, with a core staff of 10 digital journalists and a network of contributing authors based in both Korea and the U.S. The team delivers breaking news, in-depth reporting, and community-focused coverage for readers nationwide.