The main opposition Democratic Party accused Choi of allegedly covering up issues for President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration, claiming that he violated political neutrality required for the post.
The DP claimed that Choi obstructed a parliamentary audit by refusing to submit records related to the presidential office's relocation to Yongsan during a session on Oct. 15 and also disrupted an on-site inspection about a week later.
The DP also voted in favor of another motion to impeach three prosecutors involved in the investigation of a stock manipulation case linked to the first lady Kim Keon Hee. Among those impeached were Lee Chang-soo, the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and two other prosecutors.
The impeachment motion against Choi was passed with overwhelming support — 188 votes in favor, 4 against — out of 192 members present at the plenary session. The motion to impeach Lee Chang-su passed with 185 votes in favor, 3 against, and 4 invalid votes. But the ruling People Power Party (PPP) chose to abstain from the vote.
Their duties will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to uphold their impeachments after its deliberation.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office issued a statement arguing that the impeachment motions were politically motivated. It claimed the charges of failing to uphold impartiality and violating political neutrality were unfounded, asserting that the motions were more about challenging the handling of specific cases rather than meeting constitutional grounds for impeachment.
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