Alleged Sexual Harassment City Councilor 'Withdraws from Party'... Ruling Party Calls It "Democratic Party-Style Scapegoating"

"Like the case of Kim Nam-guk, 'Tail-cutting after Party Withdrawal'"
Continued internal investigation despite leaving the Democratic Party

Criticism from the ruling party continues as a Bucheon city council member from the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), accused of sexual harassment, has left the party. There are also criticisms that the DPK is trying to cover up the incident by pressuring the individual to leave the party to avoid responsibility.

Park Seong-ho, a Bucheon city council member embroiled in allegations of sexual harassment against fellow council members, submitted his resignation from the DPK Gyeonggi Provincial Party on the afternoon of the 22nd. He is accused of throwing a pancake at Councilor A's body and making sexually harassing remarks during a dinner on the evening of the 9th during a joint legislative training schedule, and of inappropriate physical contact such as wrapping his arm around Councilor B's neck on the evening of the 10th.

Councilors A and B, members of the People Power Party, submitted a disciplinary request against Park to the Bucheon City Council Ethics Committee on the 19th and filed a police complaint against Park on the 22nd for charges of forcible molestation and assault. The police have secured closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage capturing the incident and are conducting an investigation.

The People Power Party pointed out that whenever DPK members cause controversy, the party tries to cover up the incident by having them leave the party. Previously, Kim Nam-guk, an independent lawmaker accused of virtual asset investment allegations, left the DPK on the 14th. As a result, there were criticisms that the party’s internal ethics inspection, ordered by DPK leader Lee Jae-myung on the 12th, was effectively nullified.

Representative Park hugging the neck of a fellow female lawmaker. [Image source=Yonhap News, Representative B]

Bae Yoon-joo, the full-time deputy spokesperson of the People Power Party, issued a statement on the 23rd, saying, "The DPK only ordered an ethics inspection at the party level after public criticism arose, but Park nullified this measure by leaving the party."

Deputy Spokesperson Bae criticized, "Recently, within the DPK, it has become a trend to cause problems and then leave the party once the party’s ethics inspection begins, attempting to ‘cut off the tail,’ as seen in the case of Councilor Kim Nam-guk. The 'DPK-style DNA' of pretending to respond strongly but then trying to gloss over the issue after a 'resignation tail-cutting' no longer works on the public."

The People Power Party Gyeonggi Provincial Party also released a statement on the same day urging Park to resign. They said, "This incident shows the DPK’s great responsibility" and criticized it as "a point that reveals the DPK’s abysmal level of gender awareness."

The DPK Gyeonggi Provincial Party stated that regardless of whether Park leaves the party, their internal investigation will continue. Although Park’s resignation was processed that morning, disciplinary procedures will also proceed.