Female Council Members Urge Resignation, Saying "Direct Execution by Cheonan City Council Members Is Inappropriate"
On the 7th, female council members of Cheonan City Council held a press conference at the Cheonan City Hall briefing room, demanding the resignation of Vice Chairman Lee Jong-dam.
Lee Jong-dam, the vice chairman of the Cheonan City Council, who was sent to the prosecution without detention on charges of sexually harassing a fellow female council member, has sparked controversy again by making derogatory remarks about a female council member just one day after receiving a 30-day suspension from attending council meetings on the 30th.
On the 7th, female council members of the Cheonan City Council held a press conference at the Cheonan City Hall briefing room, demanding the resignation of Vice Chairman Lee Jong-dam.
Eight of the nine female council members of the Cheonan City Council attended the press conference, including Kim Gil-ja, Kim Haeng-geum, Eom So-young, Yoo Young-jin, Lee Ji-won, Yoo Soo-hee, Jeong Sun-hee, and Bok Ah-young.
According to them, around 11:20 a.m. on the 4th, Vice Chairman Lee sent a text message to female council member A, who was undergoing ordinance review, saying, "Rub it with the 00-year ordinance."
Thirty minutes later, Vice Chairman Lee sent another message saying, "I apologize. The text message was sent by mistake. I apologize. I hope there is no misunderstanding."
After the ordinance review, Council Member A, who checked the message, replied with a text saying, "Even if the message was sent by mistake, it seems you sent a text to someone after watching the council review broadcast. Who does '00-year' refer to? Please respond."
It is known that there were three female council members undergoing ordinance review at the same time.
The female council members of the Cheonan City Council stated, "Vice Chairman Lee should explain to whom he sent such an offensive message and also reveal which council member he originally intended to send the message to," adding, "Regardless of who the target was, insulting a council member performing official duties in ordinance proposal on behalf of citizens is beyond a 'suspension from attendance' and makes him unfit to serve as a Cheonan city council member."
They announced that they will discuss referring Vice Chairman Lee to the Ethics Special Committee.
Meanwhile, Vice Chairman Lee Jong-dam was accused of sexual harassment by a female city council member after touching a specific body part of the female council member during a commemorative photo session immediately following the January extraordinary session plenary meeting. The police, after investigating Vice Chairman Lee as a witness, sent him to the prosecution without detention on charges of sexual harassment.
Following this, Vice Chairman Lee left the Democratic Party, but the Cheonan City Council, after going through the Ethics Special Committee, passed the disciplinary request against Vice Chairman Lee at the 269th 1st plenary meeting on the 3rd, with 17 votes in favor and 8 against out of 25 members present.
With the approval of the disciplinary request, Vice Chairman Lee is prohibited from attending official meetings, official events, and business trips for 30 days from the 3rd to July 2nd.
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