By Seo Dong-shin
Staff Reporter

Lawmakers of the ruling and opposition parties will vote on a resolution that calls for the resignation of Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung, during a plenary session of the National Assembly Thursday.

The main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) submitted the resolution Monday, claiming that head of the Defense Ministry should take responsibility for the overall lax discipline of the Army, including a shooting spree that occurred at a guard post (GP) inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on June 19. A soldier went on the shooting rampage, killing eight other soldiers.

According to the National Assembly Act, a resolution aimed at dismissing Cabinet ministers must be put to a vote within 72 hours of its submission. The Constitution stipulates that the resolution needs approval from half of the registered lawmakers or more to pass the unicameral legislature.

Although the resolution is non-binding, it will be a political burden for the president if he does not act on it.

There are a total of 299 lawmakers at the National Assembly. The largest opposition GNP has 125 seats, while the ruling Uri Party has 146. The minor opposition Democratic Labor Party (DLP) and Democratic Party (DP) have 10 seats each, and the United Liberal Democrats (ULD) three. The remaining five lawmakers are independents, including Speaker Kim Won-ki.

As no party holds a parliamentary majority, archrivals the ruling party and the GNP tried to tilt the scales in their favor on the resolution yesterday, soliciting independent lawmakers and legislators of minor opposition parties.

President Roh Moo-hyun reiterated his opposition to the dismissal of the defense minister during a luncheon meeting with leaders of the ruling and opposition parties earlier in the day.

GNP representatives, such as chairwoman Park Geun-hye and floor leader Kang Jae-sup, were not at the meeting, as they were attending a ceremony marking the third anniversary of a naval clash between the two Koreas in the West Sea.

``I see the resolution as the GNP’s attempt to seize control over political circles,’’ Roh was quoted as saying by presidential spokesman Kim Man-soo.

The president also asked for cooperation from minor opposition parties, saying that the government and the ruling party are having a hard time as the GNP has actually taken control after the by-elections on April 30.

Although the ruling party also proposed sacking the defense minister last week, it changed its stance respecting the president’s opinion and is now opposed to the move.

Roh has publicly refused opposition parties’ demand to dismiss the defense minister in an open letter addressed to the public on Tuesday.

In the letter, the president wrote that ``the public opinion in the country tends to call for resignation of presidential aides or Cabinet ministers too easily’’ and that it seems to originate from the nation’s ancient dynasty period when kings symbolically took responsibility for unfortunate incidents making their subjects scapegoats.

Roh also said that Yoon is the most competent defense minister able to carry out ``reform of the military’’ by civilianizing the military-dominated ministry as well as bringing conceptual change of national defense in accordance with a changing security environment.

But opposition parties such as the GNP, DP and the ULD stepped up their criticism, mockingly labeling the president’s letter as ``saving Defense Minister Yoon’’ and pledging to vote for the resolution.

``The president seems to regard himself as a king,’’ GNP spokeswoman Chun Yu-ok said in a statement. ``But at least kings who ruled dynasties listened to criticism from subjects. Don’t let the public suffer on this matter anymore.’’

The number of lawmakers of three opposition parties that are determined to vote for the resolution totals 138, which falls short of a majority.

The progressive DLP, which holds a casting vote, decided to back the ruling party at the vote.

``The GNP submitted the dismissal resolution to promote a cold-war mentality and authoritarian military culture,’’ said Rep. Sim Sang-jung, vice floor leader of the DLP.

The voting result remains unpredictable, however, as some lawmakers could reject their party leadership’s stance on the resolution in the secret ballot.

Public opinion is almost equally split on the issue, with those who say the dismissal of Defense Minister Yoon is inappropriate slightly gaining weight.

According to a survey of 1,056 adults conducted by local broadcasting station MBC on Tuesday, 50 percent of those polled said the defense minister should be retained, while 43 percent were in favor of the dismissal. Eighty percent of the interviewees replied the resignation should come only after the settlement the situation.

saltwall@koreatimes.co.kr