'Sexual Bribery Allegations' Lee Jun-seok Disciplinary Procedure Unanimously Approved... First Party Leader Referred to Ethics Committee

"No decision has been made on disciplinary action or its severity"

Lee Jun-seok, Leader of the People Power Party.
Photo by Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] The People Power Party's Central Ethics Committee (Chairman Lee Yang-hee) unanimously decided on the 21st to initiate disciplinary procedures against Representative Lee Jun-seok, who has been accused of sexual bribery by the YouTube channel 'Garosero Research Institute' (Gaseyeon) and civic groups.

This is the first time that a disciplinary agenda against a sitting party leader has been formally submitted to the Ethics Committee within the People Power Party and its predecessor parties.

According to political circles, on the 21st, the People Power Party Ethics Committee held a plenary meeting and resolved to initiate disciplinary procedures on four charges against Representative Lee, including 'instruction to destroy evidence of sexual bribery.' The ethics committee members attending the meeting reportedly made the decision unanimously.

An Ethics Committee official stated regarding the future process, "We will proceed according to the regulations, and once preparations are complete, we will seek the opinions of the committee members and discuss it at the next meeting." The official added, "The date of the next meeting is undecided." However, they also said, "At this stage, it is impossible to make any conclusions about the disciplinary measures or their severity."

The Ethics Committee's disciplinary levels include expulsion, recommendation to leave the party, suspension of party membership rights, and warning. If the discipline is confirmed, it is expected to potentially affect the maintenance of the representative position.

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party (left), and lawyer Kang Yong-seok. / Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, Gaseyeon claimed through a YouTube broadcast on December 27 last year that Representative Lee received sexual favors from Kim Sung-jin, CEO of iKist, in 2013.

Gaseyeon asserted in the broadcast, "Representative Lee received sexual favors from Kim Sung-jin, CEO of iKist, at a hotel in Daejeon in August 2013," and claimed, "This was confirmed through investigation materials from the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office."

They also emphasized that at the time, Representative Lee, who was a member of the Hannara Party (now People Power Party) Emergency Response Committee, received sexual and alcohol favors while arranging a visit to a company of former President Park Geun-hye, and accepted cosmetic sets worth about 9 million KRW and holiday gifts worth about 2.5 million KRW.

Subsequently, on December 30 last year, Gaseyeon filed a complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and the civic group 'Judicial Exam Preparation Group' filed a complaint with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 31st of last month against Representative Lee.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office assigned the case, in which Representative Lee was accused of bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, to the Anti-Corruption and Serious Crime Investigation Division 1 (Chief Prosecutor Jung Yong-hwan).

Representative Lee revealed a recorded phone conversation on the 9th, stating that lawyer Kang Yong-seok, who raised allegations of sexual bribery and instruction to destroy evidence, offered to withdraw related lawsuits in exchange for his (People Power Party) reinstatement.

In response, lawyer Kang denied this, claiming that Representative Lee first proposed the withdrawal of lawsuits through a broker journalist.

Representative Lee posted on Facebook a one-minute phone call recording with lawyer Kang, asserting, "Lawyer Kang first proposed over the phone that if I delete the video alleging sexual bribery and withdraw the lawsuits, he would work hard for my reinstatement."

He also said, "The sexual misconduct allegations raised by Gaseyeon in December last year are false," and added, "I judged that repeatedly responding to these allegations, which were composed through excerpts and distortions during the presidential election process, would not be good for winning the election, so I immediately hired a lawyer and took legal action."

He continued, "I said that the reinstatement would be decided by a vote, and as things stand, it would be rejected. It is clear who proposed the deal and who refused it."

The recording includes lawyer Kang saying, "Our representative, I will withdraw the complaints and take down all the videos," and "Anyway, I will serve you well... Your wishes are the most important."

However, lawyer Kang raised his voice through YouTube and other channels, saying, "There were many behind-the-scenes negotiations before the call, and the broker journalist on Representative Lee's side proposed and led this. The broker journalist suggested that if the videos were taken down and mutual complaints withdrawn, reinstatement would be allowed, and since they did not trust each other, a direct call between the parties was necessary."

Meanwhile, the People Power Party Ethics Committee also decided to proceed with disciplinary procedures against associates of President-elect Yoon Seok-youl who violated COVID-19 quarantine rules by holding group dinners immediately after the last presidential election. It is known that this meeting included lawmakers Yoon Sang-hyun, Koo Ja-geun, Kim Byung-wook, Song Tae-young, an adjunct professor of public administration at Chungbuk National University who served as a special advisor and headquarters chief during Yoon's presidential campaign, and Lee Se-chang, the general headquarters chief.

In addition, disciplinary procedures will be initiated against former lawmaker Kim Sung-tae, who was confirmed guilty by the Supreme Court for the 'KT recruitment bribery' case, and former lawmaker Yeom Dong-ryeol, who was sentenced to prison by the Supreme Court for the 'Kangwon Land recruitment corruption' case.