Byeon Jae-il "Ethics Committee Demands Kim Nam-guk's Attendance"
"Disciplinary Measures Will Intensify If Refused"
The ruling and opposition parties have initiated disciplinary procedures at the National Assembly level against independent lawmaker Kim Nam-guk, who has sparked controversy over allegations of speculation in virtual assets (coins). Given the high public interest in the matter, both parties are emphasizing 'promptness,' and it is expected that the final disciplinary proposal will be prepared in July, after the Ethics Review Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) issues its advisory results by the end of next month.
On the 30th, the National Assembly Ethics Special Committee (Ethics Committee) raised the disciplinary proposals submitted by the People Power Party and the Democratic Party of Korea against lawmaker Kim at a plenary meeting held in the National Assembly in the morning. The proposals were referred to the Advisory Committee within the special committee. According to the National Assembly Act, the Ethics Committee must refer disciplinary proposals to the Advisory Committee and hear the opinions of advisory members before conducting disciplinary reviews. The activity period is up to 60 days.
On the 30th, the National Assembly Ethics Special Committee is discussing the disciplinary agenda for Independent lawmaker Kim Nam-guk, who sparked controversy over a large virtual asset investment. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
After the plenary meeting, Byeon Jae-il, chairman of the Ethics Committee, told reporters, "The Advisory Committee was requested to provide its opinion within one month, but considering the high public interest, we submitted the request with an additional note asking them to provide their opinion as soon as possible, even if it is before the one-month deadline."
On the same day, Lee Yang-su, the People Power Party's floor whip, emphasized the swift handling of Kim's disciplinary proposal in his opening remarks before a closed-door meeting in the morning. Lee said, "Since Kim has been absent from National Assembly meetings for over ten days after leaving his party and is responding with tactics to wait for the allegations to subside, the timeliness of disciplinary action against a lawmaker is crucial." He added, "The disciplinary proposal against Kim, who has significantly violated the National Assembly Act's ethics code and the Code of Ethics for National Assembly Members, must proceed quickly."
He suggested, "According to the National Assembly rules, the Ethics Committee must set the period for submitting opinions within one month when consulting the Advisory Committee. Let's minimize the period to ensure that the Advisory Committee can concentrate its activities and submit opinions promptly."
The Advisory Committee is a body composed of external experts within the Ethics Committee, and once a disciplinary proposal is referred to it, the review can continue for up to two months. After this review process, the Advisory Committee submits a written opinion to the Ethics Committee. The People Power Party had previously argued to skip this Advisory Committee and refer the disciplinary proposal directly to the plenary session.
Lee said, "Even after submitting the disciplinary proposal against Kim, additional charges and allegations related to the 'Coin Gate' continue to emerge," and added, "The Ethics Committee must request the Advisory Committee to review these additional charges and allegations surrounding Kim." He also emphasized resolving to have Kim attend the next Ethics Committee meeting.
The Democratic Party also agreed on the prompt handling of Kim's disciplinary proposal but highlighted the importance of the Advisory Committee consultation procedure as stipulated by the National Assembly Act.
Song Ki-heon, the Democratic Party's floor whip, said, "We hope for a substantive and swift decision through the Ethics Committee," but added, "For the Ethics Committee to make a substantive and swift decision, it is necessary for us to organize the related matters well." He warned, "If the related matters are not confirmed and a decision cannot be made, unnecessary delays will occur, and not only the Ethics Committee but the entire National Assembly may face criticism." He stressed, "The National Assembly must make efforts to ensure that the Ethics Committee can make a prompt decision when referring the case to the Advisory Committee during the review."
Disciplinary actions against National Assembly members are classified into four stages: ▲warning in an open meeting ▲apology in an open meeting ▲suspension of attendance for up to 30 days ▲expulsion. Kim's disciplinary proposal is expected to be approved by the Ethics Committee's disciplinary subcommittee and plenary meeting after the Advisory Committee's review, and then proceed to the plenary session.
Whether Kim will attend the next Ethics Committee meeting is also a point of interest. When asked by reporters about Kim's attendance, Chairman Byeon said, "The Ethics Committee can request attendance, but there is no provision to compel attendance at the Advisory Committee." He added, "However, Kim can be given an opportunity to present a rebuttal at the Advisory Committee. Attendance is not mandatory, so he does not have to attend, but if the Advisory Committee requests him to explain his position, I expect he will comply." He further stated, "We plan to have Kim attend the Ethics Committee plenary meeting held after the Advisory Committee's discussion to hear his explanation."
If Kim refuses to attend the Ethics Committee meeting, the disciplinary severity is expected to increase. Chairman Byeon explained, "If he refuses to attend when summoned by the Ethics Committee, the disciplinary level will be considerably higher," adding, "This is because the person who can defend himself loses the grounds to do so."
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