A parliamentary committee on Tuesday decided to hold two hearings to deal with an online petition demanding the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. During a plenary meeting, the legislation and judiciary committee adopted the plan to hold a hearing on July 26 and requested that first lady Kim Keon Hee attend as a witness. The petition calls on the National Assembly to propose a bill to impeach Yoon, citing allegations that the presidential office inappropriately interfered in the military's investigation into the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun, who was killed during a search mission for victims of heavy downpours in July 2023. The petition, first posted online on June 20, also points out allegations that the first lady illegally received a luxury bag as a gift in 2022. More than 1.3 million people had signed the petition as of Tuesday. During the meeting, the legislation committee, where the main opposition Democratic Party holds a majority, approved of the decision to hold a hearing on Chae's case on J uly 19. Lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party walked out of the room in boycott of the vote. By law, a petition approved by more than 50,000 people within 30 days is referred to a parliamentary subcommittee that reviews petitions, and can be submitted to a plenary session for a vote. The impeachment motion requires a two-thirds majority to pass the parliament. Source: Yonhap News Agency