"Violation of Duty to Maintain Dignity"
Ruling Party: "If an apology had been made, it wouldn't have come to this..."
The People Power Party filed a complaint with the National Assembly Ethics Committee against Kim Han-gyu, the floor spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, who stated that "the 2030 Busan Expo hosting is off the table" in relation to the Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree fiasco.
On the morning of the 17th, 22 members of the People Power Party submitted a disciplinary proposal against Kim Han-gyu to the National Assembly Ethics Committee, citing violations of Article 25 of the National Assembly Act (Duty to Maintain Dignity), Article 1 of the Code of Ethics for Members of the National Assembly, and Article 2 of the Code of Conduct for Members of the National Assembly (Duty to Maintain Dignity). Lawmakers representing Busan, including Seo Byung-soo, Cho Kyung-tae, Jeon Bong-min, and Jang Je-won, were among those who signed the disciplinary request.
On that day, representatives Jeon Bong-min and Ahn Byung-gil submitted the disciplinary proposal. Rep. Jeon said, "If Floor Spokesperson Kim had shown remorse and apologized regarding the Expo, which is a matter the entire nation desires, it would not have escalated to this point. However, since he has not taken responsibility for his words, we have filed a complaint with the Ethics Committee."
Rep. Ahn added, "Hosting the Expo is not only a matter for Busan but also a national agenda. I believe that a member of the National Assembly, who represents the people, disparaging a national agenda itself constitutes a violation of the duty to maintain dignity."
They stated in the disciplinary proposal, "On August 9, 2023, Kim Han-gyu appeared on CBS's 'Park Jae-hong's One-on-One' and said, 'I believe the Expo hosting is practically off the table,' thereby inciting conflict regarding the '2030 Busan Expo,' which the entire nation hopes to host. When asked to apologize for such remarks, National Assembly member Kim Han-gyu instead said, 'Is this a revival of regionalism that provokes Yeongnam (Busan)?' thereby further inciting and fueling regional conflicts."
They continued, "At a time when everyone is fiercely competing with other countries to host an international event, such remarks are acts that betray the duty of a member of the National Assembly to maintain dignity and to protect the honor and authority of the National Assembly as a representative of the people."
Furthermore, "Above all, Rep. Kim does not acknowledge his mistake regarding his remarks and showed an unrepentant attitude on the broadcast he appeared on August 14, stating, 'This Jamboree hosting has a considerably negative impact on the Busan Expo hosting, which is a concerning situation.' This is a serious deception of the people and severely damages the honor and authority of the National Assembly," they explained.
Meanwhile, on the 15th, Floor Spokesperson Kim posted on Facebook, "Is the government at fault for negatively affecting the Busan Expo hosting, or am I the problem for worrying after seeing foreign media reports? Please do not criticize me by wrongly guessing my true intentions, and first resolve the government's incompetence revealed by the Jamboree fiasco."
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