tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-913318078282493927.post4736409655165603252..comments2024-01-29T02:45:22.069+09:00Comments on The Korean Foreigner: President Park Geun-hye has been Impeached!John Lee (the Korean Foreigner)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01291995846376789325noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-913318078282493927.post-59725342134927654642016-12-12T23:19:48.513+09:002016-12-12T23:19:48.513+09:00Very enlightening. Thanks.Very enlightening. Thanks.Kevin Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-913318078282493927.post-90229426899380818622016-12-11T21:13:55.562+09:002016-12-11T21:13:55.562+09:00It would appear that the wording in South Korea...It would appear that the wording in South Korea's Constitution is less open to interpretation than the U.S. Constitution.<br /><br />Article 65, Section 3 of the ROK Constitution says:<br /><br />"Any person against whom a motion for impeachment has been passed shall be suspended from exercising his<br />power until the impeachment has been adjudicated."<br /><br />There's not a lot of room for interpretation there.<br /><br />On the other hand, Article 1, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution says:<br /><br />"Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law."<br /><br />Further, Section 4 says:<br /><br />"The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."<br /><br />There is no explicit mention of "suspension of power" in Section 3. Further, Section 4's inclusion of "high Crimes and Misdemeanors" is open to interpretation. Is committing perjury a high crime? Also, is it fair to compare lying about having an extramarital affair - no threat to national security - to lying about disclosing Top Secret information?<br /><br />I think that in this case, particularly in the case of Bill Clinton, the U.S. Constitution gives American elected officials more leeway than the South Korean Constitution.John Lee (the Korean Foreigner)https://www.blogger.com/profile/01291995846376789325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-913318078282493927.post-10864547089988433242016-12-11T20:53:34.724+09:002016-12-11T20:53:34.724+09:00Great post, as always. I asked a history buff/poli...Great post, as always. I asked a history buff/political junkie friend of mine whether Bill Clinton also automatically stepped away from office when he was impeached (because I honestly couldn't remember him doing so); my friend said Clinton never stepped away. This makes me wonder about the differences between the US and the ROK when it comes to their respective constitutions and impeachment procedures. Is it enshrined in the ROK Constitution that the sitting president <i>must</i> step down when impeached? That part of the process seems to have occurred automatically to me, with no resistance from Park. Might be nice if the US had a similar set of rules and procedures for presidential impeachment.Kevin Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.com