People Power Party on Park Wan-joo's Expulsion: "Appalled by Hypocrisy... This Is Not a Case to End by Scapegoating"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] On the 12th, the People Power Party criticized the expulsion of Park Wan-joo, a three-term member of the Democratic Party of Korea, over allegations of sexual misconduct, saying, "We cannot help but be appalled by the hypocrisy of shouting for women's rights in front of the public while there was sexual misconduct and concealment behind the scenes."

On the same day, Yang Geum-hee, the floor spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a statement, "The tears of the victims of sexual crimes by Ahn Hee-jung, Park Won-soon, and Oh Keo-don have not yet dried, and it was only about a year ago that the people passed judgment on these cases. Now, to have a sexual crime committed by a senior incumbent lawmaker is beyond anger and shock; it is even heartbreaking."

Yang added, "In March, Park Ji-hyun, the co-chair of the Democratic Party's emergency committee, promised a 'zero-tolerance policy toward sexual violence.' If they even slightly empathize with the victim's pain, this should not end with a scapegoating expulsion. What the Democratic Party must do swiftly is not to expel the member as if the party is unrelated to the crime, but to impose punishments and responsibilities commensurate with the crime according to the zero-tolerance principle."

Kim Hyung-dong, the chief spokesperson, also pointed out in a statement that "It has been just over a year since the people passed judgment on the sexual crime cases of Park Won-soon and Oh Keo-don, but the Democratic Party has not changed."

He added, "This should not end with expulsion within the party; they must take a responsible stance and actively cooperate with investigative agencies to uncover the truth."