Ithanhee: "I Was Not Diagnosed with Panic Disorder... Thankful to the Public for Their Understanding"

On the afternoon of the 15th, the 21st National Assembly election day, Lee Tan-hee, the Democratic Party candidate running in Yongin Jeong, Gyeonggi Province, smiled as his victory became certain at the election office.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] Lee Tan-hee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea who complained of panic disorder and submitted a leave of absence request, has returned to the National Assembly and expressed gratitude, saying, "I am thankful to the public for their consideration."

On the morning of the 9th, Lee appeared on CBS Radio's Kim Hyun-jung's News Show and said, "Thanks to the public's understanding, I was able to rest as much as needed," adding, "It has already been three months since I returned to the National Assembly in a condition to carry out my duties. I would like to thank the public once again for their consideration."

Previously, Lee, a former judge who exposed judicial corruption during the tenure of former Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae, ran for and was elected to represent Yongin City in the last general election.

However, just one week after the start of his term, Lee revealed on his SNS that he experienced severe anxiety symptoms such as panic disorder due to the shock and isolation from the judicial corruption scandal and announced that he would temporarily leave the National Assembly for treatment. This led to criticism that if he had been ill for a long time to the extent that it interfered with his activities in the National Assembly, he should not have taken public office in the first place.

In response to the host's inquiry about his condition during the broadcast, Lee said, "Actually, I have not been diagnosed with panic disorder," and added, "However, I had insomnia and various symptoms like cold sweats, so I said that if the public understood, I would rest and then return."

Regarding the previous criticism, he said, "Those who dislike me will always dislike me. What matters are those who understand my sincerity and sense of mission," and added, "Also, since many people were working from home due to COVID-19, I also worked from home in a sense and continuously proposed bills."

Meanwhile, the National Assembly Act does not apply regulations such as sick leave requests with a fixed period, as is the case with general public officials, to members of the National Assembly. Accordingly, in June, a National Assembly official rejected Lee's sick leave request due to insufficient regulations, stating, "There are no regulations allowing sick leave for members, so it was rejected." It is known that during his recovery period, Lee did not attend standing committee meetings or plenary sessions but issued instructions via messenger and proposed significant bills.