Lee Jun-seok "A Statement Against the Will of the People"
Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, is making a personal statement before the vote on his disciplinary proposal at the plenary session held at the National Assembly on the 20th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] The People Power Party unleashed criticism after Representative Kim Ki-hyun was disciplined with a '30-day suspension from attending the National Assembly' for allegedly occupying the chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee during the so-called 'complete removal of prosecution's investigative authority (Geomsu Wanbak)' legislative process.
Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, stated on his Facebook, "Disciplining Representative Kim Ki-hyun for opposing Geomsu Wanbak is tantamount to going against the will of the people," adding, "We will always favor lawmakers who resolutely stand against injustice."
Floor leader Kwon Seong-dong also posted on Facebook, "Even though the grounds and procedures for the disciplinary action were not met, Democratic Party lawmakers participated in the vote on the disciplinary motion with a predetermined answer," criticizing it as "a tantrum over the presidential election."
Kwon added, "The Democratic Party, fearing a backlash from public opinion in the local elections, cooperated under pressure but needed a scapegoat to appease their hardline supporters," and said, "The Democratic Party, which has trampled parliamentary democracy with all sorts of tricks and loopholes, is not even qualified to discipline Representative Kim."
Yang Geum-hee, spokesperson for the Central Election Countermeasures Committee, also released a statement, saying, "The only reason the Democratic Party claims for the disciplinary action is that Representative Kim sat in the chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee while resisting the illegal forced passage of the Geomsu Wanbak bill," and criticized it as "an unprecedented undemocratic disciplinary action that does not meet any legal requirements or procedures."
Yang questioned, "Shouldn't the expulsion of lawmakers who exploited the issue of Japanese military comfort women for personal gain, protected the sons of powerful figures while making sexual harassment remarks, committed power-related sexual crimes as members of the National Assembly, or damaged the trust and honor of the Assembly causing victims to shed tears come first?"
Heo Eun-ah, spokesperson for the Central Election Countermeasures Committee, said, "The Democratic Party has kicked away bipartisan cooperation," and warned, "The Democratic Party, which mercilessly trampled parliamentary democracy, will also face the stern judgment of history."
Representative Yoo Sang-beom announced at the lawmakers' meeting held after the plenary session that day, "This disciplinary action does not meet the requirements set by the National Assembly Act," and declared he would file a constitutional complaint with the Constitutional Court. Yoo added, "It is a clear violation of the National Assembly Act, and disciplining through violating the National Assembly Act itself is an abuse of power by Democratic Party lawmakers."
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