More than 145,000 people have signed a petition demanding the impeachment of Defense Minister An Gyu-baek.
According to Yonhap News on June 24, as of that day, 145,572 individuals had supported the petition titled "Call for the Impeachment of Defense Minister An Gyu-baek," which was posted on the National Assembly's public petition website on June 18.
The petitioners expressed concerns over national security and the safety of military personnel, citing issues such as the restructuring of the Defense Security Command and the response to a recent incident involving the death of a reservist during training. They urged the National Assembly to investigate An's performance and initiate impeachment proceedings.
The main opposition People Power Party has called for An's dismissal, pointing to the surge in petition signatories as evidence of public discontent.
Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik stated on Facebook, "Policies that undermine the foundation of national defense, such as the disbandment of the Army's Defense Security Command, the consolidation and relocation of military academies, and the outsourcing of rear unit security duties, are being pursued without adequate review."
He criticized the lack of accountability regarding the death of a reservist during training last month, asserting, "President Lee Jae-myung must take this public petition seriously and not dismiss it lightly."
Additionally, Chief Spokesperson Choi Soo-jin commented that the ongoing calls for An's impeachment reflect not just a failure in personnel management but also the consequences of the government's distorted security perspective. She demanded An's removal and a reshuffling of the diplomatic and security teams.
Meanwhile, Floor Leader Jeong also noted that a public petition regarding the upcoming amendment to the Information and Communications Network Act has surpassed 100,000 signatures, urging the Democratic Party to halt the law's implementation and engage in discussions for its revision.
He argued that the criteria for identifying false and manipulated information in the law are ambiguous, raising concerns about potential infringements on freedom of expression.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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