Cheon Ha-ram "Insulting All Journalists Indiscriminately"
Cheon Ha-ram, floor leader of the Reform New Party, announced on the 18th that he will file a complaint with the National Assembly Ethics Special Committee against Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, and lawmaker Yang Moon-seok, who disparaged the media as 'the prosecution's pet dog' and 'giregi' (derogatory term for journalists).
Floor leader Cheon held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office in the afternoon and said, "Leader Lee, who disparaged the media as 'pet dogs,' and lawmaker Yang, who called this controversy a 'giregi seizure,' will be requested for disciplinary action by the Ethics Committee."
Earlier, on the 14th, Leader Lee claimed regarding the allegations of Ssangbangwool Group's involvement in remittances to North Korea, "Instead of reporting the truth, they are eagerly distorting and manipulating the information they receive like the prosecution's pet dogs." As the controversy spread, lawmaker Yang defended Lee's remarks on his SNS channel, saying, "I don't understand why people criticize calling them 'pet dogs' when 'giregi,' which has become a common noun, is used."
Cheon Ha-ram, Floor Leader Attending the Meeting(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Shin Jun-hee = Cheon Ha-ram, floor leader of the Reform New Party, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on June 12, 2024.
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Floor leader Cheon explained, "Members of the National Assembly have the duty to maintain dignity as representatives of the sovereign people according to Article 25 of the National Assembly Act and Article 2 of the Code of Ethics for Members of the National Assembly, and accordingly, they must act in accordance with the people's expectations. The leader of the largest opposition party insulted all journalists collectively because of unfavorable reports about his ongoing criminal trial."
He added, "He disparages the legitimate criticism and demands for apology from journalists as seizure symptoms and continues a brazen attitude. If a politician thinks there is a problem with media coverage, they should raise objections to individual reports through proper procedures," criticizing the behavior.
Floor leader Cheon said, "Democratic Party lawmakers tell People Power Party members to conscientiously break ranks regarding the special prosecutor law on Chae Sang-byeong, so why can't they take any action against their own party leader's wrongdoing? I earnestly hope that 17 Democratic Party lawmakers join us in demanding disciplinary action." To file a complaint with the National Assembly Ethics Committee, at least 20 lawmakers must agree. Since there are only three Reform New Party lawmakers including floor leader Cheon, at least 17 lawmakers from other parties must support the complaint.
Meanwhile, according to Article 155, Clause 16 of the National Assembly Act, "The National Assembly may discipline a member through a resolution after review by the Ethics Special Committee if the member violates the Code of Ethics for Members of the National Assembly, etc."
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