South Korea's main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has initiated disciplinary proceedings against two lawmakers for making insensitive remarks about a victim of a high-profile assault case. The lawmakers have since apologized.
The disciplinary action highlights internal party accountability and the sensitivity surrounding public discourse on assault victims, particularly in the context of legislative proceedings.
SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- The ethics committee of South Korea's main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has decided to launch disciplinary action against two lawmakers for remarks widely criticized as insensitive toward the victim of a high-profile assault case.
Rep. Suh Bum-soo drew strong criticism after he was heard suggesting to Rep. Jin Jong-oh, a former pistol shooter, to perform a "spin kick" before the victim of a brutal 2022 assault arrived at a National Assembly meeting on Tuesday. Jin reportedly replied that he was better with his hands than his feet.
The victim, who was attacked in 2022 when a man followed her into her apartment building and assaulted her, had attended the meeting to voice concerns about a recently passed bill that would strip prosecutors of their authority to conduct direct investigations. She argued that supplementary investigations by prosecutors played a key role in her case.
The PPP's ethics committee met early Friday and announced its decision to open disciplinary proceedings against the two lawmakers. Both lawmakers have since apologized to the victim.
Separately, the committee also decided to send written inquiries to Rep. Jin and two other lawmakers concerning other disciplinary cases already under review. These include allegations against Rep. Jin for supporting an independent candidate, Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae for allegedly interfering with the election of a deputy National Assembly speaker, and Rep. Kwon Young-jin for a physical altercation with the PPP floor leader.