Ha Tae-kyung: "Lee Jae-myung, who drove under the influence, is party leader... Can be a lawmaker but not a minister?"

"Drunk Drivers Should Be Barred from Appointed and Elected Positions"

The Democratic Party of Korea pressured Kang Do-hyung, the nominee for Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, to resign by mentioning his past drunk driving offense. In response, Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, recalled the drunk driving record of Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the Democratic Party, saying, "Ministers cannot drive under the influence, but is it okay for party leaders to do so?"

On the 20th, Ha posted on his Facebook, "The Democratic Party says that Kang Do-hyung, who drove under the influence 20 years ago, should not become a minister. They argue that someone who committed drunk driving, an act akin to murder, is unfit to be a minister," adding, "I agree. However, this standard should be applied equally to lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties. The ruling and opposition parties should agree on 'automatic disqualification from nomination for any drunk driving offense' and decide Kang Do-hyung's fate accordingly."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He pointed out, "Kang Do-hyung was fined 1.5 million won in 2004 for drunk driving, and Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, was also fined 1.5 million won that same year with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.158%." He continued, "However, Lee Jae-myung ran for a parliamentary seat and even became party leader." He added, "The standard that allows someone to be a lawmaker but not a minister is a typical case of double standards and a privilege of lawmakers that must disappear."

Ha also stated, "In the past, the ruling and opposition parties have disqualified candidates who had two or more drunk driving offenses within 10 years during the candidate qualification screening. Drunk driving offenses older than 10 years were not considered an issue," adding, "However, considering the social harm caused by drunk driving and the high moral standards expected of public officials, it is necessary to significantly strengthen these measures."

Furthermore, he said, "In next year's nominations, drunk drivers should be automatically excluded, and Kang Do-hyung's fate should be decided accordingly," emphasizing, "The double standard that allows someone to be a lawmaker but not a minister will not be tolerated by the public."