Statement from Ruling Party Lawmaker on National Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee
"Chongryon is an Organization That Regards North Korea as Its Homeland"
Re-summoning of Yoon Lawmaker's Family Spy Verdict
The People Power Party filed a complaint with the National Assembly Ethics Committee on the 4th against independent lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang, who attended an event hosted by the pro-North Korean organization General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon).
Jeon Ju-hye, the floor spokesperson for the People Power Party, and Cho Myung-hee, the deputy floor leader, submitted a 'Disciplinary Proposal for Lawmaker (Yoon Mi-hyang)' to the National Assembly Secretariat in the morning. Twenty members of the People Power Party signed the disciplinary request.
The People Power Party viewed Yoon's visit to the Chongryon event as exceeding the legitimate duties of a lawmaker. On the 1st, Yoon attended the event hosted by Chongryon as a representative of the South Korean delegation, rather than the memorial event for the Korean victims of the Kanto Earthquake massacre organized by the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan), a Korean diaspora organization. Floor spokesperson Jeon explained, "Attending such an event as a South Korean lawmaker representing South Korea clearly violates the constitutional obligation to prioritize the national interest in performing official duties."
Jeon further elaborated, "According to the National Assembly Act, the duties of a lawmaker include restrictions, and using or receiving support from the vehicle of the South Korean Embassy in Japan during this process exceeds legitimate official activities. Therefore, this is judged to be a violation of Article 155, Clause 16 (Code of Ethics for Members of the National Assembly and Code of Conduct for Members of the National Assembly)."
President Yoon Suk-yeol mentioned at the senior secretaries' meeting that morning, "We must respond firmly to anti-state acts." Regarding this, floor spokesperson Jeon responded to speculation about prior coordination with President Yoon, saying, "This is not about consensus between the party and government; this (the case of lawmaker Yoon) is naturally considered an anti-state act."
Members of the People Power Party belonging to the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee also called for Yoon's expulsion in a statement that afternoon. They pointed out, "Chongryon is an organization that regards North Korea as its homeland and has been confirmed as an anti-state organization by the South Korean Supreme Court. The event was attended by many Chongryon leaders, including Chairman Heo Jong-man, who received the title of Hero of Labor and the First Class National Flag Medal from North Korea, and First Vice Chairman Park Gu-ho, who frequently travels to Pyongyang."
They also criticized by mentioning past espionage-related incidents involving Yoon's family and close associates. They stated, "In the past, Yoon's husband and younger sister were involved in the 'sibling spy ring case,' where they contacted the anti-state organization Han Tong-ryeon in Japan. The husband served four years in prison, and the younger sister was sentenced to two years in prison with a three-year probation. Considering that Yoon's former aide is currently under investigation for espionage charges, this recent action appears to be a calculated attempt to disgrace and insult the Republic of Korea through blatant pro-North Korean activities."
Earlier that morning, the People Power Party leadership also urged Yoon to resign from her lawmaker position. Kim Ki-hyun, the party leader, said, "Yoon, who attended an event of a group that follows Kim Jong-un, who repeatedly provokes with nuclear and missile tests, and openly used the term 'South Korean puppet party,' collaborating with an anti-state organization, has no qualifications not only as a lawmaker but also as a citizen of the Republic of Korea. A North Korean Workers' Party official would be a more suitable figure."
Floor leader Yoon Jae-ok said, "If she had even the minimum patriotism for the Republic of Korea or the minimum vigilance against the North Korean regime, she should not have attended an event hosted by such a pro-North Korean vanguard group, nor should she have stayed there for even a minute or a second. Yoon has lost her qualifications as a member of the National Assembly. I urge her to resign from her position voluntarily."
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