Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party (PPP), announced his resignation on Dec. 7, shortly after the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol was automatically dismissed due to the PPP’s boycott, which prevented the vote from reaching the required quorum. In a statement, PPP lawmakers pledged to resolve the crisis “swiftly and responsibly through means more orderly and accountable than impeachment.”
In a closed-door party meeting held during the National Assembly’s impeachment vote, Choo said, “I will step down as floor leader, taking responsibility for the unprecedented situation of a third presidential impeachment vote in our constitutional history.”
Choo acknowledged the gravity of President Yoon’s martial law declaration, calling it “clearly a mistake.” However, he criticized the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) for what he described as “the reckless overuse of impeachment motions, with 25 motions introduced since the current government took office.” He added, “This undermines the constitutional order of the Republic of Korea.”
Choo stressed the importance of restoring political stability, saying, “The people are anxious. Politics must now alleviate their concerns and bring order to this chaos. Impeachment is not the solution—it leads only to hatred and further disorder.”
Choo has been accused of obstructing the National Assembly’s Dec. 3 vote to lift martial law, which was declared earlier that day. Critics allege he instructed PPP lawmakers to gather at party headquarters instead of the Assembly and abstained from voting himself, despite being present in the Assembly building. The DPK has filed a criminal complaint against him, accusing him of being an accomplice to insurrection.
Choo’s resignation marks the end of a prominent political career, which included serving as first vice minister of economy and finance, chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, and deputy prime minister and minister of economy and finance under the Yoon administration. He has held his National Assembly seat for three consecutive terms since the 20th National Assembly and was elected PPP floor leader in May.
Following Choo’s announcement, other PPP leadership members, including Deputy Floor Leader Bae Jun-young, Spokesperson Cho Ji-yeon, and Policy Committee Chair Kim Sang-hoon, also signaled their intent to resign.
The PPP issued a statement on behalf of all its lawmakers following the dismissal of the impeachment motion against President Yoon. “We sincerely apologize to the people for the shock and anxiety caused by the president’s declaration of martial law,” the statement read. “As the ruling party, we bear a heavy responsibility for this incident and will ensure a thorough investigation into all aspects of the martial law declaration, along with appropriate legal actions.”
Regarding the party’s decision to abstain from the impeachment vote, the PPP said, “Eight years ago, the unprecedented impeachment of a sitting president in our constitutional history left the nation deeply divided and in turmoil. We could not allow the tragedy of political paralysis and a constitutional crisis to repeat.”
The party also responded to President Yoon’s earlier statement entrusting governance, including the potential shortening of his term, to the ruling party. “We will fulfill our responsibilities and duties,” the statement read. “We pledge to present a comprehensive plan to stabilize the political landscape and minimize disruptions to national governance in a manner that earns the public’s trust.”
