Yoon Jae-ok "Must Resign from Assembly on Own Accord"
Ministry of Unification Investigates Whether Assemblyman Yoon Violated Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act
The People Power Party announced that it will push for the expulsion of independent lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang from the National Assembly Ethics Committee for attending an event held by the pro-North Korean organization, the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon).
Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, said at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 4th, "Lawmaker Yoon, who attended an event of a group that follows Kim Jong-un, who repeatedly provokes with nuclear and missile threats, and openly uttered the term 'South Korean puppet regime,' a phrase used by an anti-state organization, has no qualifications not only as a lawmaker but also as a citizen of the Republic of Korea," criticizing her by adding, "A cadre of the Workers' Party of Korea would be a more suitable figure."
Earlier, on the 1st, Yoon attended the memorial ceremony for the Korean victims of the Kanto Earthquake massacre held by Chongryon in Japan as a representative of the South Korean delegation. She did not attend the memorial event for the Korean victims of the Kanto Earthquake held on the same day by the Korean residents' organization in Japan, the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan).
Leader Kim said, "What is more serious is the silence of the main opposition party," adding, "Yoon, who was formerly a member of the Democratic Party and still maintains a symbiotic relationship with it, has caused public outrage by collaborating with an anti-state organization while receiving taxpayers' money, yet the Democratic Party has not uttered a single word," and requested, "If the Democratic Party does not condone Yoon's anti-state behavior, we ask for cooperation in measures such as expulsion from the National Assembly."
Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, stated at the meeting that day, "We urge (Lawmaker Yoon) to resign from her position voluntarily. If not, our party will file a complaint with the Ethics Committee today to push for her expulsion." Jeon Ju-hye, the party's floor spokesperson, is scheduled to submit a disciplinary proposal against Yoon to the National Assembly Secretariat at 11 a.m.
Floor leader Yoon pointed out, "(Lawmaker Yoon) excuses herself by saying she was not invited to the Mindan event and therefore did not attend, but Mindan does not send individual invitations to lawmakers, and in fact, Yoon attended Mindan's March 1st Independence Movement Day event without an invitation," adding, "She is making up any excuse she can as the attendance at the Chongryon event becomes a major issue."
He continued, "If she had even the minimum patriotism toward the Republic of Korea or the slightest vigilance against the North, she should not have gone to an event hosted by this pro-North vanguard group, nor should she have stayed there for even a moment. That is the obvious thing to do," he emphasized.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Unification has determined that Lawmaker Yoon violated the prior contact reporting obligation stipulated in the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act and has begun verifying the facts through a written explanation. According to Articles 9-2 and 30 of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act, prior contact reporting and approval are required to contact Chongryon members, who are considered North Korean residents. Violations of this are subject to fines for unreported contact.
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