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South Korea’s Sewol tragedy did not impeach President Park
Dear Editor,
I was surprised to read the assertion by your columnist, G.H.K Lall, that the M.V. Sewol disaster, which claimed more than 300 lives, “was a contributor to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.”
That statement creates a false impression about why President Park was actually impeached and removed from office.
The facts are readily available in the judgment of South Korea’s Constitutional Court. Indeed, the Court did consider President Park’s conduct during the Sewol disaster. It found that she had failed to faithfully perform her presidential duties in responding to the crisis. It was the failure to respond properly to the disaster, not a finding that Park Geun-hye caused or failed to prevent the sinking of the Sewol. The Court’s criticism of Park concerned her performance of her presidential duties after the disaster had occurred—specifically, whether she faithfully discharged her constitutional duty to protect the lives and safety of the people by appropriately directing and coordinating the government’s response.
The Court expressly considered whether that ground alone was sufficient to remove her from office and concluded that it was not. GHK Lall therefore must get his facts right.
President Park was removed from office unanimously by the Constitutional Court on March 10, 2017, principally because she had committed grave violations of the Constitution and laws that amounted to a betrayal of the public trust. The central impeachment case concerned the extraordinary influence exercised by her confidante Choi Soon-sil over state affairs, the disclosure of confidential presidential material, the improper exercise of presidential authority, pressure placed on major corporations to provide funds to foundations associated with Choi, and related abuses of office.
G.H.K Lall is entitled to argue that political leaders should bear responsibility when governments fail catastrophically. What he is not entitled to do is present the South Korean President’s impeachment as though the Sewol deaths were a contributing factor to her removal.
Yours faithfully,
Roopnauth Hardyal
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